Thundarr The Barbarian in Friends & Enemies
by Thundarr The Barbarian
Summary: A sequel to Thundarr The Barbarian & The Lost Children. The wizard, Argoth, recruits five of Thundarr's most powerful foes to join him in seeking revenge. They travel to The Realm to take The Items Of Power from The Young Ones. Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla must race against time to warn their young friends.
1. Chapter 1

**THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN**

**IN**

**FRIENDS & ENEMIES**

**Chapter One**

In the year 1994, from out of space comes a runaway planet! Hurtling between the Earth and The Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction! Man's civilization is cast in ruin. Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn. A strange new world rises from the old. A world of savagery, super science, and sorcery.

In this strange new world stands the ruins of Cape Canaveral, in disrepair but still standing after all this time. Just off the coast is a small island. Here stands the once mighty fortress of the great wizard Mindok The Mind Menace. Inside the stronghold is Mindok's inner sanctum, dusty and unkempt since his defeat at the hands of Thundarr The Barbarian, and his companions Ookla The Mok and the sorceress Princess Ariel years earlier. Cobwebs hang from the from the furniture and ceiling. Sitting on Mindok's desk sits a wooden box with velvet lining on the inside. Nestled safely inside the box is a dust covered crystal sphere. Inside the sphere sit three figures. Not elaborately detailed figurines, but living beings. They are the mutant, General Zoa, and his two lieutenants.

Years ago, General Zoa had worked in the service of the wizard Mindok. When he was defeated by Thundarr, and allowed the barbarian and his friends to free the three twentieth century scientists, known as "The Ice People", from their cryogenic slumber, Mindok punished Zoa for his failure by shrinking him and his lieutenants down and imprisoning them within this crystal sphere. Thanks to the magic of the sphere, they need neither food, nor water, nor air. They are forever conscious and aware of the passage of time. All they can do is sit in their prison and stare out the open window of Mindok's study. They have a perfect view of the western horizon. Every day they watch as the sun sets in the west. They have witnessed more than two thousand sunsets since their imprisonment, and still they wait.

As the sun sets on this particular evening, something strange happens. A yellow mist slips into the room through the open window. It hovers right in front of the desk. Then it begins to take on the shape of a man and solidify. Finally it takes the form of a bald man in green robes with golden trim. His head is completely covered with eyes, many of which blink at various times. The wizard lifts his hand towards the sphere, another eye located in the center of his palm. The eye blinks a couple of times, then a beam of yellow energy shoots forth from the eye and strikes the crystal sphere. The sphere is magically lifted from its resting place and placed upon the ground. The sphere then dissolves, and the three mutants trapped within grow to their full 7' height. They kneel before their rescuer.

"Thank you, My Lord," says General Zoa.

"Do you know who I am?" asks the wizard.

General Zoa shakes his head. "No, My Lord," he replies, "Only that you have freed me and my men from that wretched prison.

"I am Argoth," says the wizard, "The Wizard Of A Thousand Eyes. Lord of the citadel Vanow, one of The Seven Citadels Of Sorcery."

"I have heard of you," says Genera Zoa.

"And I of you, General," says Argoth, "Please rise. We have much to discuss." General Zoa and his men stand before their savior. "We have a common enemy, you and I," begins Argoth, "The some enemy who is responsible for your long imprisonment."

"Lord Mindok?" asks Zoa, "But he was defeated."

"No, not Mindok." says Argoth, "The one who bested him. The one whose interference caused the failure for which you were being punished."

"Thundarr!" growls the general.

"Aye," says Argoth, "He bested me as well. Destroyed my citadel, freed all my slaves, and nearly killed me by drowning me in hot tar."

"He is a mighty adversary," agrees Zoa, "His Sunsword makes him nearly invincible."

"He is also cunning and strong," agrees Argoth, "But he is still only a man. And therefore can be defeated."

"How?" asks Zoa.

"I have heard tales of a magical bow, with powers not unlike Thundarr's Sunsword," explains Argoth, "With such a weapon, you would be more than a match for the _barbarian_."

"Where can I find such a weapon?" asks Zoa.

"In the hands of a boy," says Argoth, "Little more than a child, and no match for one of your skill. Join with me, and the bow is yours."

"You have freed me from my prison, My Lord," says Zoa with a bow, "You have my gratitude, and my service."

"Very good," says Argoth as he turns and begins walking away, "Then follow me."

General Zoa and his two lieutenants begin to follow the wizard out of the study, when Argoth suddenly stops dead in his tracks. "Oh yes," he says, "I'm afraid I only have need of one of you."

With that, twin beams of magical energy shoot out of two of the eyes in the back of Argoth's head and strike Zoa's two lieutenants. They open their mouths as if to scream, but no sound comes out. Their skins turn black and crumble away, leaving large blackened skeletons in their stead. The energy beams cease, and the skeletons collapse where they stand. As the bones hit the floor, they crumble into ash.

"Fail me, General," says Argoth, "and your fate will be worse by far."

Argoth then continues out of the study, leaving General Zoa standing there looking at the two piles of ash that were once his two most trusted lieutenants. He quickly swallows the lump which is building in his throat and follows his new master out of the study.

In the mok village of _Knox, _the leader, Chief Ogrot, is looking over the activities of his village. The males are by the river, casting their fishing nets into the water. The females are hard at work in their vegetable gardens or at their looms. The children are either at play or doing their daily chores. The chief's daughter, Princess Eekra, is hard at work with ink and quill, writing in an ancient picture book. Once used to teach human children how to read and write, she is drawing symbols she had created, based loosely on ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, to teach her fellow moks how to use this new written language she had developed. Chief Ogrot just shakes his gray head. Ever has his daughter been a strange one.

He then looks over at the ancient vault they had built their village around. Two heavily armed moks stand guard outside the vault. Chief Ogrot waves to them, a signal that asks if all is well. The mok guards salute him in return, a signal indicating that there has been no trouble. Ogrot nods his head in satisfaction. The moks of _Knox_ had not used that vault to keep their valuables for generations. Instead, the mound on which the vault sits is made up entirely of gold bricks buried under several feet of dirt, mud, and stone. Today that vault is used for a different purpose entirely. As a prison.

Years ago, a pirate named Captain Cordon, Queen Of The River Pirates, attacked the village of Knox and tried to steal the moks' legendary treasure. With the aid of their friends, Thundarr The Barbarian, Princess Ariel, and a fellow mok named Ookla, the tribe's warriors were able to defeat The Pirate Queen and her band of cutthroats.

Then several months ago, Captain Cordon managed to escape their prison, along with a couple of her fellow pirates. She took over leadership of a band of brigands, raided the treasury of a long dead wizard, then returned armed with an arsenal of magic weapons and laser guns to wreak her revenge. Once again, Captain Cordon and her bandits were defeated and captured with the help of their old friends Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla. Now Captain Cordon once again dwells withing their prison, with even more cutthroats as company, as well as groundlings, carocks, amazons, and mutants. *

Inside the prison, several pirates, bandits, and mutants sit about waiting for their next meal. They are startled to their feet by the appearance of a mysterious yellow mist that slips in through the bars on the door window. They watch as the yellow mist takes shape and solidifies into the forms of Argoth and General Zoa. Argoth raises a cloth to his face to ward off the stench of so many unwashed bodies together in one place.

"Who among you is known as Captain Cordon?" asks the wizard.

A form beneath a tattered, moth eaten blanket stirs and rises. The blanket falls away to reveal the ragged appearing form of Captain Cordon. Her hair is a tangled mess. Her once fine blue dress has been torn to shreds, and is now barely held together by strategically placed knots. Her face is bruised, as are her arms and legs.

"I am Captain Cordon," she says, "Or at least, I was . . . once."

"And what are you now?" asks Argoth.

"Our whore!" says a burly pirate, stepping between the wizard and the female pirate, "She failed too many times to be allowed to lead us any longer."

"So you punish her by making her your whore," observes Argoth.

"It's better treatment than the bitch deserves," says the pirate.

"_Captain _Cordon," says Argoth, emphasizing the word 'captain', "I have a proposition for you."

"She's not interested," says the burly pirate.

"Was I talking to you?" asks Argoth.

"If you're speaking to her, you are speaking to me," he replies, "_I _am in charge here!"

"Really?" says Argoth, with an almost amused grin on his lips.

The pirate visibly pales, as he begins to understand his error in angering a wizard. "Um . . . well," he stammers, "I suppose it's okay if you talk to her . . . for a minute."

"What exactly is this proposition?" she asks.

"How would you like to get out of here and gain your revenge on those who put you here in the first place?"

"Thundarr?" she asks, now very curious.

"And his wretched friends," agrees Argoth.

"He is a mighty foe," she says cautiously, "Twice I had faced him, and twice he has bested me."

"He is no match for your skill," says Argoth, "It is his Sunsword which gives him his advantage."

"When last I met him, I had a magic blade of my own. And still he beat me!"

"You mean this one?" asks Argoth, and he pulls the crystalline rapier out from under his robes, "A powerful weapon indeed. But not enough to defeat Thundarr. For that, you will need a magic shield to go with it."

"I have never needed a shield before," says Cordon.

"You will need one now," says Argoth, "And I know of one so powerful, even Thundarr's mighty Sunsword cannot penetrate it."

"Where is this shield?" asks Cordon.

"In the hands of a young knight," says Argoth, "Barely more than a child really. Hardly a match for you."

"And if I agree to join you, you will get me out of here?"

"I shall," agrees Argoth.

"You have a bargain, wizard," says Cordon.

"NO!" shouts the large pirate, "I will not give up my whore!"

Argoth glares at the pirate for a moment. Then his expression softens, and the magic rapier in his hand disappears in a puff of yellow smoke. The large pirate smiles at his perceived victory, until he hears the scraping of a blade being drawn from its scabbard. The pirate turns around just in time to look Captain Cordon in the eye as she stabs him in the gut with the crystal blade of her enchanted rapier. The pirate's eyes widen in shock frost spreads across his abdomen from the wound. He opens his mouth to scream, but no sound escapes his lips. Icicles form on his nose, chin, and fingers. In a matter of seconds, the large and burly pirate is frozen solid. Captain Cordon immediately removes the blade from the wound, then whirls about and knocks the pirate's frozen body over with an impressive spin kick. As the body hits the stone floor, it shatters into a thousand pieces as though it were a crystal chandelier.

"Excellent!" exclaims Argoth, "But my captain should not be so shabbily dressed."

With that, Argoth stretches out his hand and unleashes a beam of magical energy from the eye in the center of his palm. Captain Cordon is cocooned in magical energy. When the spell has ceased, the lady pirate is indeed a sight to behold. Her long black hair is neat and clean. The bruises that covered her face and body are healed. Her stiletto healed knee high boots, which before were dull, scuffed, and dirty, now appear as though they are brand new and highly polished. The scarf tied about her head has been replaced with a steel circlet, with short lengths of chain hanging down just before each ear. Her torn and ragged dress has been replaced with a chainmail bustenhalt and a matching chainmail miniskirt. Her leather gauntlets, too, are cleaned and repaired. Captain Cordon looks herself over, then buckles her sword belt on about her waist. Argoth then motions for the lady pirate to join him and General Zoa. She moves to stand on one side of the wizard, General Zoa stands on the other side of the wizard, then the three of them disappear in a cloud of yellow mist.

Just outside the village of _Cisco_, there is a tavern. Centuries ago, before The Cataclysm, it was a gas station, a place where vehicles would go to refuel. Now it is a tavern, where travelers go to eat and drink. Inside this tavern, sitting at the bar with his head resting upon the counter, is a dark haired barbarian. His right arm is robotic, his chest armor plated. He wears a metal skull cap upon his head. His name is Zogarr, once a mighty barbarian. Now, a pathetic drunk. He pushes his head up off of the bar and looks around groggily. He reaches for his tankard and attempts to have another drink, only to find the mug empty.

"Barkeep!" shouts Zogarr, "Gimme more mead!"

"Silver first," says the bartender, "You're not getting another drop until you pay off your tab."

"What?" cries Zogarr, and he reaches across the bar with his human hand and grabs the bartender by the shirt, "Maybe you dunno who yer talkin' to!"

"You're Zogarr," says the bartender calmly, "Once a barbarian to fear. But ever since Thundarr whupped your ass, you've been so drunk you're lucky if you'll hit the floor when you fall down."

Then the bartender pries the drunken barbarian's fingers off of his shirt and pushes him onto the floor. Zogarr hits with a loud 'thump', to which everyone laughs. Zogarr tries to get back to his feet, but falls over into an undignified heap, causing even more laughter at his expense. Just then a yellow mist wafts into the tavern. It floats over to the prone barbarian and takes form. In seconds, the forms of Argoth, General Zoa, and Captain Cordon are standing over the drunken heap which is Zogarr.

"Are you the barbarian they call Zogarr?" asks Argoth.

"Who wants to know?" asks Zogarr, trying to sound menacing.

"I am Argoth, The Wizard Of A Thousand Eyes. If you are the one called Zogarr, I have a proposition for you."

Zogarr tries once again to regain his feet, but falls unceremoniously onto his butt. He looks up at the wizard, still trying to be intimidating.

"I'm Zogarr," he says.

Argoth looks to General Zoa and Captain Cordon and nods. The two of them move over to either side of the barbarian and lift him up onto his feet. They hold him steady as Argoth approaches.

"I offer you a chance to redeem yourself," says Argoth, "To get revenge on the one who humiliated you and turned you into a laughing stock."

"Thundarr," growls Zogarr.

"Aye," agrees Argoth, "Thundarr."

"How can I besht him?" slurs the drunkard, "Hish Shunshord makesh him unbeatable."

"I know where you can get a weapon even mightier than his Sunsword," says Argoth, "A magic club, with the power to topple mountains!"

"Where ish dish club?" asks Zogarr.

"In the hands of a barbarian child," says Argoth. "All you'll have to do is take it from him."

"A child, eh?" says Zogarr, "Ye got yershelf a . . . a . . ." then the barbarian vomits all over Captain Cordon, " . . .a bargain," he finishes.

Captain Cordon looks down at the mess Zogarr had made of her, then up at Zogarr's face. Zogarr grins at her with a dumb drunken smile. So Cordon hauls off and punches him square in the nose knocking him out cold (though whether his unconscious state is due to the punch or the copious amounts of mead he had consumed is debatable). Argoth raises his arms and the four of them disappear in a puff of yellow smoke.

Not far away, in the village of Beverly, two dark shapes slip through the nights shadows. As silent as Death, the two shapes creep from shadow to shadow. They meld so completely into the darkness, that if you were to blink, you would think their movements a trick of the light. They stop just outside a tall, beat up old building. Three floors up is an open window. The two shadowy figures begin scaling the ancient drainpipe running up the side of the building. They glide up the pipe with such ease, they almost appear to be floating. As soft and silent as shadows, the two figures slip into the window. There, they find a bed. Laying in the bed, fast asleep and snoring soundly, is Ayrlo, the village leader.

The two figures crawl across the floor until they reach the bed. Then they stand, one on either side. They stand there a moment, hovering over the sleeping Ayrlo. Either one of them made a sound, or Ayrlo just sensed there was someone in his room, for either way the village leader's eyes fluttered open. He looked up and was startled to see two sets of reptilian eyes staring down at him. He opens his mouth to scream, but the two intruders strike first. They lunge at their prey, each one biting into a side of his neck. Ayrlo's death scream comes out more like a muffled gurgle, as the venom from the mutants bites paralyzes his lungs and vocal cords. As they continue to pump their venom into their victim's throat, a yellow mist slips in through the open window, taking shape and solidifying into the forms of Argoth, General Zoa, Captain Cordon, and now a very sober Zogarr The Barbarian. The two assassins stand up and push the hoods of their cloaks back, revealing themselves to be female serpentine mutants.

"Talona, Viper," says Argoth, "I see you two have been busy in my absence."

The two assassins turn around and see the wizard and his companions. Their eyes go wide and their jaws drop. Then they move towards Argoth and kneel at his feet, bowing until their foreheads touch the floor.

"Lord Argoth," they hiss, "Pleassse, forgive usss."

"We thought you were vanquisssshed," says Talona.

"Had we known you hadn't perissshed . . ." begins Viper.

"I'm sure you two would have remained my loyal servants," says Argoth.

"Pleassse do not be angry," say Viper, "With you gone, we needed to find employment."

"And we found we have a knack for Assssassssinationsss," adds Talona.

"I'm not angry," says Argoth, "In fact, I'm impressed. You served me well as servants, but you will serve me even better as assassins. In fact, I will even reward you if you come back to serve me in such a capacity."

"Reward?" asks Talona.

"What kind of a reward?" asks Viper.

"I shall grant each of you an item of great power," says Argoth, "Items that will make you even deadlier assassins."

"What items? Where" they ask.

"I know where to obtain a magical cloak which renders its wearer invisible," explains the wizard, "And a magical staff which is indestructible, and can extend to any length the wielder desires."

"Where are these items?" asks Talona.

"In the hands of two girls," replies Argoth, "Barely more than children, and hardly a match for the two of you."

"We are yourssss to command, Massster," say the two serpent women.

Then they get to their feet and join the wizard and his other three companions. Argoth raises his arms in the air and all six of them vanish in a puff of yellow smoke.

In the ruins of the Looney Land Amusement Park, under the light of the broken moon, a yellow mist appears before the run down remains of the Dungeons & Dragons ride. The mist takes form and solidifies into the wizard Argoth and his five new recruits. Argoth uses his magic to lift one of the old cars from the ride and place it back on the tracks. He and the other villains then climb aboard. Argoth zaps the rides controls with a magical beam from one of his eyes, starting the ride, while firing another magical beam into the rides entrance at the same time, opening a portal into The Realm. The car enters the ride, carrying Argoth, Talona, Viper, Captain Cordon, General Zoa, and Zogarr The Barbarian, and then they all disappear.

**Author's Note**

* _The events described in this part of the story transpired in my story _Thundarr The Barbarian in Return Of The Pirate Queen. _If you would like to learn more about Captain Cordon's daring escape and eventual recapture, please feel free to read it. I think you would find it most enjoyable._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Under the light of the broken moon, three companions ride their mounts across the wild landscape. In the lead, riding a magnificent white stallion, is a large muscular man with blonde hair the colour of straw and eyes as blue as the sky on a clear summer day. He wears the simple furs of a barbarian. Around his neck he wears the tooth of a great predatory beast in a leather thong. His wrists are adorned in heavy leather bracers. He is Thundarr, once enslaved by the wizard Sabian, now champion of the people. The bracer on his left wrist sports a golden sword hilt, his famed Sunsword. When he wields it, and ignites its enchanted fiery blade, he is all but unstoppable.

Following close behind the barbarian, riding a chestnut brown mare with black mane, is a beautiful olive skinned woman with almond shaped eyes. She wears a light blue leotard with gold trim, reminiscent of the single piece swimsuits women wore two thousand years ago when they would swim recreationally. She wears gold coloured boots which go up nearly to her knees, a golden circlet upon her brow, and a pair of gold bracers on her wrists. She is Princess Ariel, a powerful sorceress, and the stepdaughter of the wizard Sabian. Years ago she had helped Thundarr and several others escape her stepfather's dungeons. The two of them have been inseparable ever since.

Bringing up the rear is a large leonine humanoid, riding a large yellow skinned quadruped called an equart. The rider combines the features of a man and a lion in a manner not unlike how Minotaurs of ancient Greek myth combined the features of men and bulls. He has a coat of light brown fur all over his body, much like that of a cougar or mountain lion. His head is more like that of a male African lion, with a thick mane of light tan coloured hair. His face is covered with short, sleek, black and gray fur, giving his face an even fiercer look. His name is Ookla, a mok, a proud and noble race of catlike beings. He wears boots and a loincloth made of black furred animal hides, more out of modesty than for protection from the elements. Like Thundarr, he too was enslaved by the wizard Sabian. During their daring escape, Thundarr saved Ookla's life. Due to mok custom, he owes Thundarr his life in return. Since then, they have become close friends and brothers in arms. He has a great mok composite bow slung across his broad back, as well as a quiver of Stun Arrows.

"Come!" Thundarr says to his two friends, "We must find a place to rest our horses."

"About time!" says Ariel, "I don't think my mare can handle this pace for much longer."

Ookla howls in reply, and Thundarr nods his head affirmatively.

"Aye, my friend!" he says, "There's a lake just up ahead. We can make camp there."

The three friends ride their mounts down the overgrown country road. In the middle of the road, partly buried in the dirt, is an old road sign. It reads _Crystal Lake . . . Miles. _Thundarr guides his stallion to leap over the obstacle, clearing it with ease. Next, Ariel follows suit on her mare, also clearing the sign with ease. Ookla guides his equart to leap over the sign next . . . and smashes the ancient wood into splinters. Before long they arrive at a beautiful, pristine, crystal clear lake. The warm waters of the lake give off steam in the cool night air, filling the darkening woods with fog. There are ancient buildings from Old Earth, rotting and falling apart all around the area. There's an ancient rubber tire, hanging from a dead tree by a rotting length of rope.

"What is this place?" asks Thundarr.

"I believe this was an Old Earth summer camp," says Ariel, "Before the Great Cataclysm, most people lived in cities so vast that they hardly ever saw an actual tree. So they would send their children to camps like this one so they can experience the beauty of nature first hand."

"Ancient humans were very strange," says Thundarr as he considers this, "Living as far away from nature as they can, only to send their children into the wilderness later on."

Ookla rides his equart up to one of the ruined cabins and grabs hold of one of the patio supports. The beam crumbles within his grasp and the patio collapses with a loud crash. The mok begins howling at the crumbling building. Then he turns to Thundarr and says something in his bestial tongue, to which Thundarr nods his head.

"Aye, Old Friend. These buildings are too rotted and falling apart to provide us with shelter. We shall camp on the beach."

"At least it's a nice clear night," says Ariel, "We shouldn't even need a tent."

The three friends tether their horses to a fallen log where there's plenty of grass to graze upon, then go about setting up camp. Thundarr and Ariel walk along the beach gathering driftwood for the night's fire, while Ookla prepares the camp. He takes three large fallen logs and sets the up in a U formation. Then right in the centre of the area between the three logs he digs a shallow pit into the sand and lines it with large rocks. By the time he's done, Thundarr and Ariel have returned with large armloads of firewood.

"This should last us a while," says Thundarr.

"And there's plenty more where this came from," adds Ariel.

Ookla growls his appreciation and begins building a fire in his newly dug fire pit. Once he gets the kindling set up, Princess Ariel points her finger at the pile and zaps it with a ray of magical flame, setting it ablaze. Ookla looks up at her with surprise, as he had just prepared a starter stick and bow. The sorceress just shrugs apologetically.

"My way's quicker," she says.

Ookla just shrugs and tosses his fire building gear aside. Then he reaches into a sack and pulls out three wild birds he had caught that morning, along with some wild potatoes he had dug up.

"Good idea, Ookla," says Ariel, "You start dinner while I get cleaned up."

"I think Ookla wants _you_ to cook dinner," laughs Thundarr.

"Next time," Ariel replies, "I promise."

Ariel walks down to the water, pulls off her boots, and then she slips out of her leotard. She wades out into the water and begins washing her clothes. She hears splashing behind her and turns around to see Thundarr had also stripped out of his furs and was washing them in the lake.

"No telling when the next time is that we'll be able to do this," he says.

"And it's been far too long since the last time," agrees Ariel, "I'm surprised half the wizards in the state can't track us by your smell."

"Oh yeah?" says Thundarr, and the next thing Ariel knows she's being lifted into the air and thrown into the water.

When Ariel surfaces, she sees Thundarr standing there laughing at their game. Ariel makes a gesture with her hand and the next thing the barbarian knows, he's flying naked through the air and splashing down into the water. This continues back and forth for several minutes. First one splashes the other, or dunks them into the water, then the other retaliates. Finally, Ookla starts howling at them from the shore.

"What is it?" asks Ariel.

"He says dinner is ready," translated Thundarr, "And that if we don't come out of the water soon he will eat it all himself."

"If it were anyone but Ookla I would consider that an idle threat," says Ariel, "But I've seen him eat."

"Come," says Thundarr, "Before Ookla makes good on his threat."

The barbarian and the sorceress head back to the campfire, their sopping wet clothes in their arms. They lay the clothes out on one of the logs to dry by the heat of the fire, then wrap themselves in their wool blankets as they dry themselves by the fire as well. Ookla hands them each a metal plate with a roasted bird and a potato on it. The three of them sit around the fire and enjoy a quiet meal.

"You know," says Ariel eventually, "I don't understand why it is nobody has settled this land. There's plenty of fresh water and fish in the lake. I saw wild raspberry bushes on our way here. One could live here quite comfortably."

"Had they not allowed those cabins to fall to disrepair, they'd even have ready made shelter," adds Thundarr.

Ookla growls something in his bestial tongue, and Thundarr nods.

"Ookla agrees," He translates, "He says this is the type of place moks would consider paradise."

After dinner they sit in silence for a while, lost in thought as they watch the crackling fire. Thundarr fingers the animal tooth hanging around his neck as he watches the dancing flames of the campfire. Ariel watches him for a while, waiting to break the silence.

"You miss him," she finally says, "Don't you."

Thundarr looks her in the eye. He knows who she means. Over a year ago, they had met and befriended six young adventurers. Little more than children, most of them. The youngest was a young barbarian named Bobby. He carried with him a powerful magical club, capable of knocking down mountains. When they parted ways, Thundarr had given Bobby his old animal tooth necklace as a keepsake. He had since fashioned himself a new one. Every once in a while, he stops and thinks of his old one and of the brave little boy who wears it.

"He was a fine boy," says Thundarr in an uncharacteristic show of sentiment, "Brave and strong. He reminds me much of myself when I was that age."

"You're kidding!" says Ariel with a smile, "You were a brat too?"

Thundarr looks quizzically at Ariel for a moment, then bursts out laughing. Ariel joins him in his mirth, and even Ookla enjoys a chuckle. When they settle down, Thundarr looks back into the fire.

"I often wonder what happened to them," he admits, "Did they get home? When? Did they survive The Cataclysm?"

"I'm sure they did," says the sorceress, "Who knows? Maybe Bobby wound up becoming the founder of your tribe."

Thundarr laughs again. "Wouldn't that be something?" he admits.

Suddenly, they hear the sound of a branch breaking somewhere out in the forest. They all stop talking and listen carefully. They can hear the faintest sound of something moving out in the darkness. Ookla grabs his bow and knocks a Stun Arrow, aiming out into the foggy night. Thundarr takes up his Sunsword. He doesn't ignite the blade yet, as he can't see any intruders, but his warrior instincts are warning him of danger. Princess Ariel conjures a ball of flame and holds it in the palm of her hand.

Finally, whoever had been stalking the shadows steps out into the light. He's big, at least as big as Thundarr, and broad shouldered. He's wearing ragged clothing which looks to be centuries old. Belted to his hip is a steel machete. And covering his face, is a strange looking mask which appears to have molded into the skin of his face, as though he has worn it for so long that his skin had actually grown over the edges of the mask.

"Lords Of Light!" Exclaims Thundarr, "What the devil is that?"

"I guess someone does live out here after all," says Ariel.

"What is that on his face?" asks the barbarian.

"A hockey mask," explains the sorceress, "Facial armor used in an ancient sport back in the days of Old Earth."

"What does he want?"

"Maybe he wishes to join us by the fire," suggests Ariel.

"Hello!" Thundarr calls to the stranger, "We didn't mean to disturb you. We will be leaving in the morning, once our clothes are dry and our horses have rested. You are welcome to join us by our fire if you wish. We would appreciate the company."

The stranger begins walking towards the three travelers. Thundarr looks down at Ariel and smiles. Apparently he was only looking for some company. As the stranger approaches, he draws the machete from his belt. Ookla growls and aims his Stun Arrow at the masked intruder. Thundarr ignites the blade of his Sunsword, and Princess Ariel cocks her arm back in readiness to throw her magical fire.

"Be warned!" calls Thundarr, "We have no wish to do battle, but we can defend ourselves, and shall!"

The masked intruder doesn't stop his slow walk towards the three companions. Ookla fires his composite bow, the Stun Arrow striking the masked stranger square in the chest. The arrow's magic has no effect and the stranger keeps on coming. Thundarr casts aside his blanket and charges the intruder, heedless of his own nakedness. The naked barbarian lets out his famed battle cry.

"Yaaaaaa-heeee!"

The machete wielding stranger brings his weapon up and slashes down at Thundarr, while the blonde barbarian swings his mighty Sunsword to parry it. The blade of the machete clatters on the ground, while the masked one looks curiously at the hilt of his now useless weapon. He looks at Thundarr, who stands with his Sunsword at the ready.

"You have only tasted Thundarr's fury, stranger!" growls the barbarian, "Leave now, or soon you shall feast on it!"

The masked horror tosses aside the ruined remains of his machete and turns to face the barbarian squarely. He glares at Thundarr through his mask, and breathes deeply, making no attempt to flee. Thundarr cocks his arm back to strike this masked attacker down.

"I shall not warn you again!" says the barbarian.

Still, the masked attacker refuses to move. Thundarr swings his Sunsword, aiming straight for the creature's mask. With lightning like reflexes, the masked one catches Thundarr's sword arm by the wrist. The barbarian's attack is stopped cold. Thundarr tries to pull his arm away, but this stranger's grip is like iron.

"Demon Dogs!" cries Thundarr, his favorite curse.

The masked attacker squeezes Thundarr's wrist. Thundarr grimaces in pain as his opponent's grip gets tighter and tighter. There's an audible _crunch_, as the bones in the barbarian's wrist are crushed, forcing Thundarr to cry out in pain and drop his Sunsword. The enchanted weapon hits the ground, its blade immediately extinguished, snuffed out like a candle. With Thundarr unarmed, the monster grabs him by the head and begins to squeeze.

Thundarr can feel the inhuman strength of his enemy, the pressure building as his skull is slowly being crushed as was his wrist. He grabs his attacker's thick forearms and tries to pry them loose. The pain in his injured arm is unbearable, but he tries anyway. He knows it is useless, that this thing's strength is far beyond that of mortal man. Still, he tries. The pain in his head is so intense that Thundarr falls to his knees. The barbarian senses that his attacker is toying with him, that he could kill him at any time. He hears Ookla howling in anger, and Ariel's cries of concern, though they both sound far off. Thundarr is sure he is about to die.

Suddenly, a pair of clawed, hairy hands grab Thundarr's attacker by the forearms. With strength rivaled by few, man or monster, Ookla pulls the masked horror's arms away from Thundarr's head. The barbarian collapses, holding his injured wrist tightly to his chest. The monster glares into Ookla's catlike eyes. He pushes forward against the mok with an uncanny strength which rivals the mok's own. Like two wrestlers these two press against each other. Finally, the masked monster rears his head back, then slams his forehead into the bridge of Ookla's nose. Ookla staggers back, blood pouring from his nostrils. Before the mok can recover, the monster backhands him across the face, sending Ookla flying through the air. Ookla comes down in the lake, several yards from shore.

The monster watches as Ookla flies through the air out into the water. He takes several deep breaths, as though he's preparing himself to go after the mok. So intent is he on the image of Ookla's flight, he doesn't notice that Thundarr has taken up his Sunsword in his uninjured left hand. While the monster's back is turned, Thundarr ignites the blade then leaps to his feet, swinging his fiery blade in a backhanded upward slash. The Sunsword cuts through the monster's right arm, severing it at the shoulder. The monster spins around, swinging his left arm in a wild roundhouse punch. Thundarr cuts through that arm too, severing it at the elbow.

The monster staggers back, his amputated arms lying at his feet. Thundarr stands before him, glaring into the monster's eyes. Still clutching his wounded wrist to his chest, Thundarr makes three more slashing attacks on the monster. The armless masked threat stands there for a moment, as though he cannot comprehend what had just happened. Then, slowly at first, his head rolls off of his shoulders and lands at Thundarr's bare feet. As if on cue, the monster's torso falls free from its abdomen, and its abdomen falls free from its pelvis. Remarkably, its legs remain standing, as if the monster is still too stubborn to fall. Thundarr slashes straight down with his Sunsword, cutting the pelvis in two, then slashes across, cutting the legs off at the knees. Finally, the last of their attacker collapses on the ground.

Princess Ariel comes running naked over to Thundarr. All thoughts of modesty are cast aside, as she is very worried for her friend's welfare. She looks on in horror as the thick, oil black, tar-like blood seeps into the ground. Ookla joins his two friends, soaking wet and looking like a drowned cat.

"Well, I guess we now know why no one has settled here," says Ariel, "Whoever, or whatever this thing was, either killed or scared off anyone who tried."

"It won't be scaring off anyone anymore," says Thundarr.

Ookla shakes his whole body vigorously like a wet dog, showering his two friends with lake water. He points to their campfire and growls something in his bestial tongue.

"Aye," agrees Thundarr, "It is time we went back to the fire."

"Just a minute," says Ariel. She holds her hands out to the dismembered body of the masked monster and engulfs it in magical flames. She turns up the intensity of the spell, until Thundarr and Ookla have to step away from the heat. Still, she doesn't relent, not for several minutes. When she does, there's nothing but a charred spot of earth where the body once lay. "Now we go back to camp," she says.

Once they return to their campfire, Ookla throws some more wood onto the coals, coaxing a fair sized blaze. By the light of the fire, Princess Ariel examines Thundarr's injuries. His broken wrist is badly injured indeed.

"The bones in your wrist are out of place," she tells him, "I'm going to have to push them back, otherwise your arm won't heal properly. You may never wield your Sunsword again."

"Then stop talking and do it," Thundarr tells her.

Ariel takes his injured wrist in her hands. "This is going to hurt," she tells him, "We'll do it on three. Ready?"

Thundarr grits his teeth and nods.

"One . . . Two . . ." Then she pushes his broken bones back to the proper position.

Thundarr grimaces in pain and lets out a loud grunt, which is as close to a pained cry as the stubborn and proud barbarian will allow. Princess Ariel's hands glow a mystical yellow, the magic running up Thundarr's injured arm. The barbarian lets out a slight sigh of relief, as the pain is already much less.

"My magic has already begun to mend your broken bones," she tells him, "But it will take until morning for them to be whole again." She then places her hand upon Thundarr's forehead, causing his whole body to glow yellow with magic. "Sleep now, my friend. When you awake, you will be well once more."

Thundarr falls into a deep, magically induced slumber. Ariel crawls under her own blanket, and allows herself to get lost within her thoughts. Ookla sits on his log and stares out into the darkness, now wary of danger. He does not see the reptilian eyes staring at him from the shadows of one of the old cabins. Nor does he see the scaly hand aiming a slingshot at him from the dark.

A small glass vial of red liquid smashes into their fire. Ookla and Ariel leap to their feet, fearing more attackers like the one they had just defeated. The campfire starts spitting out thick plumes of red smoke, clouding the two friends' vision. Before they can react, they collapse, knocked unconscious by the red smoke. A humanoid shadow is cast over them in the moonlight as this new attacker approaches them silently.

Princess Ariel's eyes flutter open. The sun is up. She can hear a loon calling from across the lake. Squirrels are chattering up in the trees. She lifts her head to look around. She apparently had been using Thundarr's broad chest as a pillow. By all appearances, she and the barbarian had shared their blankets last night. And as she looked under the blankets, she found that they were both still naked.

She tries to recall the events of the previous night. She remembered washing her clothes and bathing with Thundarr. She remembered dining on wild fowl. She remembered being attacked by a mutant in a hockey mask, and Thundarr being injured. And she remembered using her sorcery to heal his injuries. Everything after that is just a blur.

She scratches her head and winces. Her scalp feels as though someone had grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked it out by the roots. If she and Thundarr had made love, as the evidence seems to suggest, he apparently likes it rough. She tries to rub the stiffness out of her shoulder, but winces again. There appears to be some kind of insect bite right where she slept.

_Odd_, she thinks to herself, _I don't remember being bitten_.

She quickly gets up and gets dressed. After lying next to a roaring campfire all night, her leotard is now plenty dry. She then goes about rebuilding the fire and starting breakfast. Soon, the smells of wood smoke, brewing tea, and simmering broth waken the others. Thundarr and Ookla sit up and stretch their stiff muscles.

"Good morning," says Ariel, "Sleep well?"

"Like a rock," replies Thundarr, "And you?"

"A little too well I think," she replies, "I think an insect made a meal of me last night."

"Bah!" says Thundarr, waving away the notion, "You worry over the silliest things."

"Are you sure you didn't wake up last night?" she asks him.

"Not that I recall," he replies, "Why?"

"Just curious."

"Are my furs dry yet?"

Ariel feels Thundarr's clothes to see if they had dried during the night. As she suspected, they had not. Leather retains moisture for an incredibly long time, doubly so if it still sports the animal's fur.

"I'm afraid not," she tells him.

"Very well," says Thundarr, "We have time."

They sit and enjoy their breakfast. Just as they finish their meal, they hear the sound of hooves galloping through the trees. The sound gets louder as it gets closer.

"Riders," whispers Princess Ariel in alarm.

"_Rider_," Thundarr corrects her, "I hear only one."

Ookla takes up his composite bow, knocking a Stun Arrow. As the sound gets nearer, he draws the bowstring back and takes aim in the sounds general direction. A breeze kicks up, and the mok sniffs the air. His ears perk up as he lowers his bow, easing the arrow off of the bowstring. Thundarr looks on curiously. In moments, the rider comes galloping through the trees. It is Princess Eekra, daughter of Chief Ogrot and friend to the three of them, riding to meet them on her equart.

"Eekra!" cries Thundarr, "Well met!"

"How fares your father?" asks Ariel

Eekra reins her equart to a halt and dismounts. She immediately goes to Ookla, and the two moks embrace one another. Ookla leans down and gently touches his forehead to hers, the mok equivalent of a passionate kiss. She then turns and addresses the others, growling at them in the bestial tongue of the moks.

"She says that Captain Cordon has escaped again," Thundarr translates for Ariel."

"Again?" says the sorceress, "She just doesn't know when to give up, does she?"

Eekra speaks some more, which Thundarr translates. "She says that this time she was rescued by a wizard," he tells her, "A wizard in green robes, with eyes all over his head."

"Argoth!" exclaims Ariel, both shock and horror in her voice. Years ago they had been captured by Argoth, and the wizard nearly forced Ariel to become his bride. They managed to defeat him, but wizards that powerful don't often stay down for long.

Eekra continues her tale, which Thundarr then translates for Ariel. "She says that the wizard was accompanied by a mutant. An orange skinned giant with red eyes and horns."

"That sounds like General Zoa," says Ariel, "But he was left trapped in Mindok's fortress."

"She also says that Argoth had returned Captain Cordon's enchanted sword to her," continues Thundarr, "The one that freezes people solid."

"Making them as fragile as fine crystal," recalls Ariel.

"She also says that Argoth had promised Cordon a magic shield to go with her sword," Thundarr continues to translate, "One that even my Sunsword cannot penetrate."

"What shield?" asks Ariel, "Where?"

Eekra answers the sorceress, which Thundarr translates. "She says that Argoth told Cordon that the shield is currently in the possession of an arrogant child who plays at being a knight."

"That sounds like Eric!" exclaims Ariel, "She must mean his Griffon Shield!"

"You're right!" says Thundarr.

"Argoth must be after Presto's Hat Of Many Spells!" says Ariel, "With such an item in the hands of so powerful a wizard, he'd be unstoppable!"

"How does Zoa fit into all this?" asks Thundarr.

"Argoth must have promised him one of the other items," reasons Ariel, "Likely Hank's Energy Bow, or maybe Bobby's Thunder Club."

"Who else could Argoth be recruiting?" wonders the barbarian, "Judag perhaps?"

"Judag's ultimate goal was to become a wizard himself," replies Ariel, "Argoth might see him as a rival for Presto's hat. But it appears as though he is recruiting those we have bested in the past. Likely offering them all The Young Ones' enchanted items in return for helping him in his quest for revenge."

"We have made many enemies," says Thundarr, "Where do we even begin to look for Argoth and his team of mercenaries?"

"If they're after our friends and their weapons," says Ariel, "then there's only one place we can find them. At the portal into The Realm."

"Then we had better get going," says Thundarr, "That portal is many days travel from here, and we have very little time."

Princess Ariel waves her hand over Thundarr's still wet furs, causing steam to rise up off of them. She hands them to Thundarr, who is pleased to discover that they are now bone dry.

"Why didn't you do that before?" he asks her.

"And cut our vacation short?" she says, "Never. Besides, you've got a really nice ass."

"Females," says Thundarr as he rolls his eyes and quickly pulls on his furs.

Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla strike their camp. In a matter of minutes they're ready to ride.

"Will you be joining us?" Ariel asks Princess Eekra.

Eekra growls a reply, which Thundarr translates. "She says she must get back to her village. She says that they will need to prepare for battle should we fail in our mission."

"Of course," says Ariel, "Your place is with your people. Fare well, my friend."

Eekra nods her head to Ariel in reply. She then hugs Ookla goodbye. They once more gently touch foreheads, letting the moment linger for as long as they dare. Then Ookla and Eekra mount their equarts, while Thundarr and Ariel mount their horses.

"Thank you again for the warning, my friend," Thundarr says to her, "We shall meet again soon, under happier circumstances. I promise." Then to Ariel and Ookla he calls, "Ariel! Ookla! RIIIIIIDE!"

The four of them then ride off through the woods. Eekra rides with them for as long as she's able, but eventually takes her leave and rides off in another direction. Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla ride their mounts as hard as they dare. Day after day they ride on, resting only when exhaustion forces them too. They take little food and water for themselves, and let their horses graze when time permits. Finally, they arrive at the gates of the Looney Land Amusement Park. They head directly to the ruins of the Dungeons & Dragons ride.

"Finally," says an exhausted Thundarr, "We made it."

"Only question is," says Ariel, "Did we get here in time?"

Thundarr and Ookla dismount and begin searching for clues. Thundarr points to a spot on the ground.

"Footprints," he says, "Looks like six sets. Two men, three women, and a giant. No tracks leading up to them though. They just simply appear."

"Then we're too late," says Ariel, "Argoth has already assembled his team of mercenaries. They've already gone into The Realm."

These tracks are several days old," says Thundarr, "They're likely hunting down our friends as we speak."

"Actually, Thundarr, they've hunted them down centuries ago. This portal travels through both time _and_ space, remember?"

"So?"

"So we might be too late to stop them from going to The Realm. But we might not be too late to help our friends."

"What are you saying?"

"If I cast the right spell, we can go to The Realm ourselves and warn Presto, Bobby, and the others of Argoth's intent. Even help them fight him."

"Can you do that?"

Princess Ariel places her fingers against her temples, closes her eyes, and concentrates. Her body glows with golden energy as she works her magic.

"The magic of Argoth's spell still lingers," she tells him, "It'll be tricky, but I'm pretty sure I can reopen the portal and send us to the same time and place he and his party found themselves."

"Do it then," says Thundarr.

Ariel continues to concentrate. A golden beam of light shoots forth from her forehead and goes into the entrance of the ancient ride. The tunnel glows with the power of her spell.

"There," she says, "That should do it."

Thundarr and Ookla climb back up onto their mounts. Thundarr's white stallion rears up on its hind legs.

"Ariel! Ookla1" he cries, "INTO THE POTAAAAAAL!"

Thundarr rides his horse onto the rides tracks and into the mouth of the large fake dragon that forms the ride's entrance. Ariel and Ookla follow close behind. Then the three of them all disappear from sight.

**Author's Note:**

_If you're wondering, the reason I had Thundarr and his friends meet up with Jason Voorhees is that one of my readers asked me to write a _Thundarr/Friday The 13th_ Crossover. As you can see from the first half of Chapter 2, such an endeavor is rather pointless. Sunsword + sorcery + mok strength vs a guy in a hockey mask with a machete? Not much of a contest. As I am also a _Jason_ fan, I did my best not to have him go down like a total pussy. But in the end, Jason goes down for the count._

_And I'm sure many of you are curious about the mysterious figure who drugs Ariel and Ookla after their fight with Jason. That particular part of the story is a catalyst for another story I'm working on, "_Thundarr The Barbarian in Showdown_". It'll make much more sense when that story is published. I just wanted to wet a few whistles, so to speak. Give you all a bit of a prologue. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla ride their mounts out of a tunnel in the side of a mountain and rein them to a grinding halt. Just outside the cave is a ledge, no more than maybe ten feet by ten feet wide. Beyond that is a sheer drop down a rocky cliff. They're a good hundred feet from the base of the cliff, and miles up the side of the mountain.

"So now what?" asks Thundarr.

"Allow me," replies Ariel, and she conjures up a bridge of magical energy which they can safely ride their horses down.

The three of them Ride their mounts down to the mountainside below. There they find an old game trail, narrow, but safe enough for their horses. They ride along the trail for hours, until the finally come upon a fast running creek. They follow the water until it empties into a wide pool. Here, Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla take a rest. As their thirsty mounts drink their fill from the pool, Thundarr and the others take a look around. They find the wilderness to be quite majestic, with no ruined buildings lying about, nor rusting shells of ancient automobiles littering their path.

"I can see why the children chose to return here," says Thundarr, "The scenery is quite magnificent."

"Why thank you Thundarr," says a voice.

"Demon Dogs!" cries Thundarr in surprise.

On a rock by the pool sits a strange little fellow wearing red robes trimmed in gold. His head is bald on top, though his hair is long in the back. He vaguely reminds Thundarr of Zed, the mayor of the village of small humans in The Valley Of The Man Apes.

"Who are you?" asks Princess Ariel.

"A friend of those you seek, Princess Ariel," the little man replies, "And of yours as well."

Ookla growls something in his bestial tongue.

"Yes, Ookla," the little fellow replies, "I know who you are, and I know why you have come."

"You say you know us, little man, but we do not know who _you_ are!" says Thundarr.

"Oh, dear me!" says the little man, "Where are my manners? Please forgive me." He stands up on the rock and dips into a low bow, "I am Dungeon Master. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"You're the Dungeon Master?" says Princess Ariel, "The one Presto and the others told us so much about?"

"I should hope so," says Dungeon Master, "Unless they were making up tales of another by that name."

"What do you want?" asks Thundarr, very bluntly.

"Why to help you, of course," Dungeon Master replies, "The ones who seek to take The Items Of Power from my pupils are a mighty crew indeed. Should they succeed in their quest, the balance of power could be irrevocably shifted towards the forces of evil, both in this world, and your own."

"You say you wish to help us," says Thundarr, "How?"

"The leader of your adversaries is a wizard of frightening power, with eyes like those of a beholder. He seeks Presto's Hat Of Many Spells."

"We know," says Ariel, "His name is Argoth. We've dealt with him before."

"With him travels a mighty giant, to whom he has promised the Ranger's Energy Bow."

"That would be General Zoa," says Ariel, "Another we have bested."

"They are joined by a woman whose heart is as black as the hair on her head, and whose skill with a blade is matched only by her beauty. To her Argoth has promised the Cavalier's Griffon Shield."

"Captain Cordon," says Thundarr, "Again nothing we don't already know."

"With them is a barbarian with an arm of metal, and a heart just as unfeeling."

"Zogarr," says Thundarr.

"He was a handful before," adds Ariel, "If he were to get his hands on Bobby's Thunder Club . . ."

"Even my Sunsword might not be enough to stop him."

"Then there are two females who are as venomous as they are stealthy," says Dungeon Master.

"I don't know who they could be," admits Thundarr.

Ookla growls a reply and shrugs his massive shoulders.

"Perhaps they are the two serpent women from Argoth's harem," suggests Ariel, "I don't know how stealthy they were, but I wouldn't bet against them being venomous."

"What we really need to know," says Thundarr, "is where Bobby, Hank, and the others are."

"You shall find them in the face of a stranger," says Dungeon Master, "To see them, you must look not with your eyes, but with your heart. But hurry! For while they are far more formidable than you remember, they are far more vulnerable as well."

Ookla scratches his great leonine head and growls at this cryptic message. Thundarr looks up at the mok.

"I have no idea, Old Friend," he says. Turning back to the Dungeon Master he asks, "Exactly what is that supposed to . . . Lords Of Light! He's gone!"

"Yep," says Ariel with a laugh, "That was the Dungeon Master alright."

"What's so funny?" asks Thundarr.

"Don't you remember what the kids told us about Dungeon Master? He always shows up, gives them some cryptic advice, and then disappears without a trace."

"We will see them in the face of a stranger? Not with our eyes but with our hearts? What's that supposed to mean? And how can they be both more formidable _and_ be more vulnerable? It makes no sense!"

"That's what makes the advice cryptic," says Ariel, "I'm sure all will be made clear soon enough."

"Then let us be on our way," says Thundarr, "The sooner we find our friends, the sooner we can stop Argoth and his band of cutthroats."

The three of them mount up and continue on down the mountain path. By sunset they reach the mountain's foothills. There they see in the distance what appears to be a mining town. There are many stone houses with thatched roofs scattered about, and a large wooden wall encircling the entire town. It looks as though they are preparing for trouble. From the distance, Thundarr and the others can see lit torches all along the town's wall, as well as on top of what appear to be watch towers. Ariel conjures up a magical sphere and looks through it, magnifying the image down below as though she were looking through a telescope.

"It looks as though they're preparing for battle," she tells the others, "The women and children are being ushered into the root cellars. The men all look to be arming themselves with whatever they can. The men on the wall all have bows and crossbows. Only a few of the men in town have swords. Everyone else appears to be grabbing sledge hammers, pick axes, wood axes, meat cleavers, anything the can use to defend themselves."

"Defend themselves against what?" asks Thundarr.

Princess Ariel moves her spell of magnification about until she sees what it is that the people in town are preparing themselves to face. A huge army of green skinned pig faced creatures. She remembers her conversations with The Young Ones about their adventures in The Realm. There's only one species of creatures that these can be.

"Orc soldiers," she says.

Thundarr nods his head in understanding. He too remembers his young friends' tales.

"Venger must want something from that town," guesses the barbarian, "How many orc soldiers did he send?"

"Rough guess?" says Ariel, "Hundreds. Enough to overrun that town's meager defenses easily."

"The townsfolk are very brave to fight against such odds," says Thundarr with admiration in his voice.

"That, or very foolish," says Ariel.

"It would be more foolish to try and flee," Thundarr points out, "In the open they have nowhere to hide. At least behind their city walls they have a chance."

"Not exactly the best odds though."

"Their luck is about to improve!" Thundarr exclaims.

He takes up his Sunsword, ignites the blade, and charges down the hill towards the oncoming orc horde. "Yaaaaaa-heeee!" he cries.

"Thundarr! Wait!" calls Ariel, "You can't take on an entire army all by yourself!"

Ookla howls his own battle cry, takes out his mighty composite bow, and spurs his equart into a gallop. Princess Ariel sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

"Out voted again," she says.

She takes her mare's reins and spurs her into a gallop, ready to provide whatever magical aid she can for her friends.

The three of them ride over hill after hill in a full gallop towards the oncoming orc horde. The orcs see them coming and laugh. Only three horsemen against their numbers? Such foolish bravery. Ookla and Princess Ariel begin the assault on the orc soldiers with spells and Stun Arrows. Ookla fires arrow after arrow from the back of his equart, each one striking down its target with incredible accuracy. Ariel's spells are a little more impressive. Balls of fire leap from her outstretched hand, each one the size of a fist, and when they strike they explode with incredible force. Orcs are sent flying through the air in every which way and then come crashing down incredibly hard.

Then Thundarr charges his stallion into their midst. The barbarian slashes left and right with his fiery blade. Orc weapons, armor, limbs, and heads, fly in every direction. Thundarr sees that the orcs are going to try and drag his horse down on top of him, so he leaps off and tackles one of their captains. Then he gets back to his feet, lifting the orc with one arm, and hurls it into an oncoming throng of its kin. Others crowd around the barbarian, but his Sunsword cuts through sword and spear, shield and helmet.

Ookla rides to his friend's aid. Too close for arrows anymore, the mok follows the barbarian's example and leaps off his mount to continue the battle on foot. Not nearly as graceful as his human companion, Ookla crashes into a group of orc soldiers, knocking them all down. He regains his feet, scooping up four of his opponents in a mighty bear hug. He squeezes them until they cease to struggle, then throws them into their oncoming fellows. Two orcs come charging towards him, axes raised to strike. He brings his mighty fists down upon their heads, forcing their helmets down over their eyes.

Two more orcs come at the mok, swords drawn and ready. He grabs them by their tunics and lifts them above his head, slamming their skulls together with bone crushing force. Three more orcs charge at Ookla. He throws the two orcs in his hands at them, knocking down two of the three. The middle orc suddenly finds himself upside down, held by the ankles. Then in a move that would remind any of The Young Ones of an episode of The Flintstones, should they had been at the battle to witness it, Ookla smashes the orc's face into the ground repeatedly, like Bam Bam having a tantrum. Dozens of orcs stand around Ookla, completely stunned by his strength and his ferocity. Then Ookla wades into them. Using the beaten orc as a club, he swats them aside like insects. He works his way over to Thundarr, and the two friends join forces, fighting back to back.

Princess Ariel's magic is devastating to the orc ranks. Her explosions have left many orcs dead or injured. Still more scatter at her approach as she rides through their ranks, afraid of what she'll do next. Orc arrows fill the air as they attempt to shoot her down. She conjures up a protective globe that no arrow can penetrate. She then retaliates with more explosions. She conjures a wall of magical energy, shaped like a giant wedge, then charges her mare through the orc ranks. The wedge casts the orcs aside like the prow of a ship cutting through the waves of a choppy sea. When she gets to Thundarr, she tumbles acrobatically from her horse's back to fight at her friend's side. She casts a spell, creating a circular wall of energy which surrounds her and her friends, and then she makes it expand so rapidly it throws the orcs away from them in every direction.

But despite the devastating impact of their initial charge, they are still grossly outnumbered. The orcs have them completely surrounded, and are closing ranks on all sides. They're being cautious, none of them want to be the first to battle these three. Yet they are also confident, for they know that for every one of them that falls, three more will take his place. And that even with these three strangers' interference, this human village will fall.

"We can't keep this up forever," says Princess Ariel, "Now what?"

"Now, we go down fighting!" Thundarr replies.

Ookla growls in agreement.

"Somehow, I knew you were going to say that," says Ariel.

The orcs begin to close in on the three friends. The closer they get, the bolder they become. Finally they charge at them from all sides. Just as they are about to reach the three heroes, a mysterious stranger appears out of nowhere. A beautiful black haired young woman, her hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a chainmail bikini and riding a black unicorn with a white mane appears between the oncoming orcs and the three friends. She flips off of the unicorn's back in an amazing backward summersault and lands on her feet.. She has a gold heart shaped locket around her neck and a sword on her hip. She slaps her mount on the rump, sending it on a charge through the orc ranks, and draws her blade.

At nearly that exact moment, they hear a deep, masculine voice bellowing out a battle cry not unlike Thundarr's own. Then they see orc soldiers at the back of the ranks flying through the air, first to one side, then to the other. The startled orcs at the front of the line hesitate, and the dark haired woman warrior strikes. She drives the tip of her sword into the ground, and the grass becomes covered in crystal. The crystal spreads out before the girl, trapping the orcs feet. The crystal continues to spread, encasing the orcs legs, then their bodies, then eventually even their arms in crystal. The only things not trapped in crystal are the orcs heads.

Princess Ariel takes advantage of the distraction as well, blasting the orcs with her magic. Ookla grabs orc soldiers and throws them like javelins, knocking down more of their fellows as they land. Thundarr starts cutting through the orc ranks with his Sunsword, scattering those fortunate enough to be out of reach. The barbarian glances over at their new ally. She strikes an orc's shield with her sword, encasing that orc's entire body in crystal. Two more orcs try to cut her down with overhead slashes of their swords. She parries the attacks with her own blade, trapping those orcs in crystal as well. Every slash, every thrust, every parry that strikes home, traps another orc soldier in crystal. Thundarr had to admit to himself, she fought well.

Orcs scatter to either side as the other warrior that has come to their aid comes riding through. He is a young barbarian, perhaps in his early to mid twenties, his hair as long and blonde as Thundarr's, though more the colour of polished gold than of dried wheat. He sports a thick mustache on his upper lip, grown down past the corners of his mouth until it reaches his jaw line. He is tall, six foot at the very least, and broad shouldered, with heavily muscled arms and a rippling chest and abdomen. He wears fur lined boots, a fur loincloth, and a leather cross harness upon his chest. There's a horned metal helmet upon his head, and studded leather bracers on his wrists. Hanging from his neck, on a leather thong, is the tooth of a great predatory beast, virtually identical to the one Thundarr wears. He swings a wooden club which glows with magical energy, and rides into battle on the back of a unicorn mare, with pink eyes and an orange mane. As the unicorn gallops past, the barbarian leaps from its back with his club held high.

"Yaaaaaaa-haaaaaa!" cries the barbarian as he brings his club down upon the earth at the orcs' feet.

A great shockwave rolls along the ground, hurling orc soldiers into the air to come crashing down hard. The barbarian then swats aside a group of nearly a dozen orcs, sending them flying in a way Thundarr had only ever seen Ookla accomplish. The young barbarian swats away another group of orcs in yet another incredible feat of strength. One orc bravely charges the young barbarian, its axe raised above its head in both hands, ready to bring it down upon the young warrior's helmed head. The barbarian thrusts his club forward, as though it were a battering ram, sending the orc flying backwards to crash into his fellow soldiers, knocking them down like bowling pins.

"Steeeeeeeeeee-rike!" says the barbarian as he pumps his fist in the air victoriously.

The orcs have seen enough. The barbarian with the fiery blade, the sorceress, and the impossibly strong beast man were bad enough. With these two by their side, there was no way the orcs could hope to achieve victory with numbers enough to still sack the town. They turn and flee, running as fast as their legs can carry them, back to the dark holes they call home. The barbarian walks over to the scantily clad woman warrior.

"Are you alright, my love?" he asks her.

"I'm fine, husband," she replies, "And you?"

"No orc weapon ever got near me," he says. Then the two of them embrace.

"Thundarr," whispers Princess Ariel, "Look. That barbarian's club. Isn't that . . ."

"Bobby's club," says Thundarr, finishing the thought.

Thundarr starts walking towards the two warriors, his Sunsword still ignited and held at the ready. "You there! Boy!" he calls. "Where did you get that magic club?"

The other barbarian looks over at Thundarr and glares. He turns to face the approaching barbarian, slapping the club into the palm of his off hand in anticipation for yet another fight.

"The next time you say boy," he replies, "make sure that there's one around!"

Now that the barbarian has turned to face Thundarr fully, Princess Ariel finally gets a good look at him. His clothes, his helmet, his club. Then her attention is focused on the animal tooth necklace around his neck. She gasps as realization hits her.

"_We will find them in the face of a stranger_," she quotes. Then she shouts out "Bobby!"

Both barbarians turn and look at her. "What?" they say in unison.

"Bobby The Barbarian!" she says, "That _is_ you, is it not?"

"Do I know you?" asks Bobby.

"Don't you recognize us?" asks Ariel, "It's Ariel and Ookla. And . . ."

"Thundarr!" cries Bobby as recognition finally dawns on him. He drops his club and scoops the other barbarian up in a tight embrace. "Good God! It is you! I thought I'd never see you all again! How did you get here?"

"Same way you did," says Ariel, "Through the portal at the amusement park."

"How can this be?" asks Thundarr, "When last we met you were but a child."

"That was seventeen years ago, Thundarr!" laughs Bobby, "Even in The Realm, children tend to grow up after such a long time."

"Seventeen years?" says Thundarr, "But we only met you one year ago."

"One year ago for us," explains Ariel, "Remember, we had to travel not just from one world to another, but back through time."

"Then your magic didn't send us back far enough," reasons Thundarr, "We're too late."

"No," says Ariel, "My magic sent us back to the same time that Argoth and his mercenaries had arrived. He is the one that arrived here seventeen years after our adventure with our young friends."

"What are you two talking about?" asks Bobby.

"We'll explain once we've all met up with the others," says Ariel, "Where is everyone else anyway?"

"Dunno," says Bobby with a shrug, "We all stopped traveling together a few years back."

"Heh-hem!" says the brunette with the enchanted sword, "Bobby, darling. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Bobby slaps himself on the forehead. "I'm so sorry! I don't know where my manners are!"

"Back on Earth I should guess," says the girl.

"Terri, this is Thundarr, Princess Ariel, and Ookla The Mok. These are the people who warned me that the Earth was going to be destroyed by a giant comet," then he turns to Thundarr and his friends, "Everyone, this is Terri Dreamwalker . . . My wife."

Terri shakes their hands in greeting. "They only call me Dreamwalker here in The Realm," she says, "Back home my name was Terri Anderson."

"I prefer the name Dreamwalker myself," says Bobby, "It sounds like something out of Star Wars. You know . . . Luke Skywalker . . . Terri Dreamwalker. Kinda makes you sound more heroic."

"How did you get the name Dreamwalker?" asks Ariel.

"Ever since I came to The Realm, my dreams have predicted the future," she says, "That's how Bobby and I knew to come here and defend the town from the orc invasion. Although I must admit, I didn't see you three in my dream."

"Come on," says Bobby, "Let's continue this in the town. It's getting late, and I'm starving. Fighting orcs is hungry work!"

Ookla growls his agreement. Bobby sticks his fingers in his mouth and blows a shrill whistle. His and Terry's mounts come galloping over to them. The mare nuzzles up to Bobby.

"That can't be Uni, can it?" asks Ariel.

"Even baby unicorns gotta grow up sometime," says Bobby.

Thundarr whistles for his own mount. His white stallion, Ariel's mare, and Ookla's equart all come galloping over. The five companions mount up and ride towards the town. The town's militia opens up their gates and let the heroes into the town.

"Hail Bobby The Barbarian!" they cry, "Hail Terri Dreamwalker! Hail the defending heroes! Hail!"

"They seem to know you," mentions Thundarr.

"We've passed through here before," says Bobby, "And we've developed a pretty fair reputation."

"So I see," says Thundarr, as young women throw flowers at the feet of their mounts.

Bobby and Terri dismount their unicorns and tether them outside the town's tavern. Thundarr and his friends follow their lead, and the five of them enter the tavern to a hail of cheers. They all sit down at a table, and immediately serving girls are bringing them flagons of mead. Thundarr, Bobby, and Ookla all drain their drinks in a single breath, while the ladies are more reserved. More mead is brought to them, as well as a roasted suckling pig, a tray full of fresh baked bread, still warm from the oven, and a large bowl of fresh fruit.

"So Bobby," says Thundarr, "Tell us, what has happened since last we met."

"Yes," says Ariel, "Why is it that you no longer travel with your friends? Did you have a disagreement?"

"Nothing quite so dramatic," says Bobby, as he pulls a leg off of the pig and begins to eat, "We just drifted apart. It happens sometimes. I've only really kept in touch with Hank and Sheila, them being family and all."

"Perhaps you should start over," suggests Thundarr, "Like maybe at the beginning?"

"Okay," says Bobby, "So, a couple of years after we met you guys and returned to The Realm, we finally managed to put an end to Venger's evil once and for all."

"So you finally destroyed that evil wizard," says Thundarr.

"No, just put an end to his evil ways," Bobby corrects him, "You see, Venger was Dungeon Master's son."

"What?" Thundarr and Ariel say in unison.

"Well, adopted son anyway," says Bobby, "See, Dungeon Master took in Venger and his sister Kareena and raised them as his own."

"Venger has a sister?" says Ariel.

"Hey! Do you want me to tell this story or not?"

"I'm sorry, Bobby. Please continue."

"So as I was saying," continues the young barbarian, "Dungeon Master raised Venger and Kareena as his own children. They both soon started showing great talent for sorcery. Dungeon Master took it upon himself to teach them in the art of magic. Venger soon became very powerful, and Dungeon Master had hoped he would be able to pass his role of guide in The Realm to his son."

"Now, Venger saw his role in The Realm as the champion of Good, and believed it was his destiny to eradicate Evil once and for all on behalf of all the goodly folk. At that time, the greatest evil in The Realm was Tiamat, the five headed dragon. She's virtually indestructible, and the source of all evil dragons. Venger thought that if he could slay her, there would be no more evil in The Realm."

"A noble cause," says Thundarr.

"Noble, yes, but also foolish," says Bobby, "Dungeon Master taught us that Evil can never be destroyed, only kept in check. That is a lesson Venger refused to learn. He insisted that if he could destroy Tiamat, he could destroy all Evil in The Realm and turn it into a paradise without conflict. He learned of an ancient magic, one that he thought could give him the power needed to destroy Tiamat once and for all. His power increased tenfold, but at the cost of his soul."

"Power corrupts," says Ariel, "And absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"A lesson Venger had to learn the hard way," says Bobby, "And to make matters worse, his new found power wasn't even enough to destroy Tiamat. So for centuries he sought the power to destroy Tiamat, all the time becoming the very thing he had always despised the most. I'm not sure exactly how or why, but My friends and I were somehow destined to come to The Realm and put an end to Venger's madness."

"Anyway, some time after we had met you guys, we had to go on this grand quest. It was as trying for us emotionally as it was physically. In the end, we managed to break the spell that had corrupted Venger's soul. Dungeon Master arrived, and gave us a choice. We could go back home and become regular kids again, or we could stay in The Realm and continue being heroes. Even though Venger wasn't evil anymore, there was still much good to be done. Since having met you, we knew that going back meant seeing everything we were trying to get back to destroyed, and everyone we loved would likely die. So we decided to stay."

"Terri and I were best friends when we were kids, and I couldn't stand the thought of her dying in the coming disaster. So I asked Dungeon Master if I could go back to Earth and rescue her. He agreed, so I met up with her at school, just like she dreamed I would the night before we sent her home. We spent a week together on Earth, doing regular kid stuff. You know, eating ice cream, watching cartoons, that sort of thing. Then on the weekend, we went back to Looney Land, got on the Dungeons & Dragons ride, and came back here. We've been here ever since."

"And what of your friends?" asks Ariel.

"Hank and Sheila were the first to leave the group shortly after they got married."

"They're married?" says Thundarr.

"Yep. Dungeon Master even performed the ceremony. I gave the bride away, seeing how I'm Sheila's only blood relative in The Realm. Eric was Hank's best man, and Diana was Sheila's maid of honor. They live in a little cottage deep in the forest, not too far from here actually. Diana left next. I guess she lost her taste for adventure after Hank and Sheila left. We met up with a Celestial Knight named Dekion, who took Eric on as a squire. That was the last I saw of the old Cavalier. Presto, Terri and I continued on without them, until we found ourselves in Varla's village again. Once She and Presto were reunited, he didn't want to leave. I guess they must've gotten married too. Since then, it's just been me & Terri. We stop by Hank and Sheila's every once in a while to say hi and visit the little ones."

"Little ones?" says Thundarr.

"Yeah," replies Bobby, "I'm an uncle now! Can you believe it?"

"That's quite a tale," says Princess Ariel, "Although I don't really know what a Celestial Knight is, or who this Varla person is. But it sounds very important."

"Earlier you guys mentioned someone named Argoth," says Terri, "Who is he? And why has he come to The Realm?"

"Argoth is an evil wizard," explains Ariel, "And a very powerful one as well. He's known as _The Wizard Of A Thousand Eyes_. He has eyes all over his head, on the palms of his hands, likely even all over his body. Thundarr, Ookla, and I managed to defeat him years ago. He had followed us into The Forbidden Jungle, which drains a sorcerer of their magical powers. In his hubris, he believed he could destroy us before the forest's draining powers could take effect. He was wrong, and Thundarr threw him into The Labraya Tar Pits. We believed he had drowned, but wizards that powerful are not so easily vanquished. So now he's back, and thirsty for revenge."

"So why is he here?" asks Bobby.

"We believe he seeks Presto's hat," says Ariel.

"And he hasn't come alone," adds Thundarr, "He has brought a team of five mercenaries that we're sure he has promised all of your magic items to. A giant warrior, a barbarian, a pirate, and two snake women."

Ookla growls something in his bestial tongue, to which Thundarr nods.

"What?" asks Terri, "What did he say?"

"He says that with your friends so scattered, they are in great danger."

"So _that's_ what Dungeon Master meant!" says Ariel.

"What?" asks Thundarr.

"He said that our friends are more formidable than what we remembered, but also more vulnerable!"

Thundarr just looks at her with a blank stare.

"Don't you see?" she says, "When we first met them, the kids were little more than children. Children with very powerful weapons, but still only children. Now they're older, more mature, more skilled in their assigned roles. But they're scattered. Vulnerable. Their greatest strength had always been that they worked as a team. Now they're a bunch of individuals. And with no clue as to exactly what they're about to be facing."

"Then we must reunite them," says Thundarr, "For if Argoth and his lackeys gain The Items Of Power . . . "

"The whole world will be in peril," finishes Terri, "This world_, and_ Earth."

"Then we leave at first light!" exclaims Bobby, "First stop, Hank and Sheila!"

"Why wait until first light?" asks Thundarr, "Why not leave now?"

"Because it's late, we're tired, and we'd never find our way in the dark. Don't worry! The Forest Of Know Trees isn't far. We'll reach them by lunch time tomorrow if we leave at daybreak."

"How can you have a forest with no trees?" asks Thundarr.

"Not 'no trees'," explains Terri, "_Know_ trees. Trees that know."

"What could a tree possibly know?" asks Thundarr.

"Whatever you want to ask them," replies Bobby. "For example, just where have all the others wound up since we've gone our separate ways."

"Makes sense to me, Thundarr," says Ariel.

"That figures," he replies.

"It's settled then!" says Bobby, "We spend the night here at the inn, then leave at first light in the morning."

"And pray to The Lords Of Light that we're not already too late," mumbles Thundarr.

Bobby arranges for accommodations for himself and his friends. As with everything else this town has to offer, the rooms are complimentary. Apparently, Bobby has saved the town from a lot of monsters over the years. Bobby and Terri get a room all to themselves, as do Thundarr and Princess Ariel. Ookla gets his own room, as Bobby, Thundarr, and Ariel know full well that the mok's snoring is so loud it could wake the dead. They all settle in for the night and go to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Bobby The Barbarian's helmet and animal skins lie neatly folded on the table of their rented room. Next to it lays the chainmail bikini of his wife, Terri Dreamwalker. The couple lies together in their bed. Bobby is on his back, snoring contentedly, as he enjoys a restful sleep. Terri is not so lucky. Lying next to her husband, she tosses and turns. She sees a cottage burning, and a wizard in green robes with eyes all over his head laughing evilly. She sees a black haired barbarian wielding Bobby's club. Then a pair of evil looking snake women. She wakes up screaming before she sees any more.

"What?" says Bobby, "What is it?"

"We have to get to Hank and Sheila!" says Terri in a panic, "We have to get to them right away!"

"And we will," says Bobby, "But not before we get some rest. Uni and Silverbeard are exhausted from the long day's ride. We're exhausted from the fight. Just relax."

Thundarr and Ariel burst into Bobby and Terri's room. Thundarr's Sunsword is ignited and ready, while Ariel's hands virtually crackle with magical energy.

"Lords Of Light!" says Thundarr, "What's happening in here?"

"It's okay," explains Bobby, "Terri's just had another dream, that's all."

"A dream of the future?" asks Ariel.

"Yes," says Terri, "We must get to Hank and Sheila quickly, before it's too late!"

"And we will," says Thundarr as he extinguishes his Sunsword, "You and Bobby know where they live. Argoth does not. That gives us the advantage."

"And once we're all together, there's no way he'll be able to beat us!" adds Bobby.

"But my dream . . ."

"Has warned us of the danger," says Ariel, "And therefore does not have to come to pass."

"Remember when we first met?" Bobby asks, "And you dreamed Diana would get captured by Venger's lizard men when they attacked her from up in a tree?"

"Yeah," says Terri.

"What happened?" Bobby asks her.

"I warned her, and she got out of the way before they could catch her."

"Exactly!" says Bobby, "You dreamed it, and then we stopped it. And your dream about the orc attack on this village?"

"I dreamed that they burned it to the ground."

"And is it burning?"

Thundarr places his Sunsword back onto its bracer. "Get some sleep, Dreamwalker," he says, "You will need it for tomorrow." Then he and Ariel return to their own room.

Terri curls up next to Bobby, using his broad shoulder as a pillow. The young barbarian wraps his arms around her and holds her tight.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," she says, "I guess I'm just extra nervous because someone's after our family."

"I know," says the barbarian, "But we've dealt with worse problems before. We can deal with this one."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"How positive?"

"As positive as I am that you are without a doubt the most beautiful woman in all The Realm."

"Flatterer."

"Prove me wrong."

"I'd rather not."

They both have a good chuckle, then fall back asleep. The rest of the night passes uneventfully. As the cock crows with the dawn, the five heroes awaken from their slumber. They quickly dress and wash, then head downstairs to the common room. The innkeeper knew they were in a rush, so he has breakfast all ready for them when they get downstairs. Bacon, ham, sausage, eggs, bread, and fruit. The five friends eat hurriedly, and then fetch their mounts. The sun has barely lifted past the horizon by the time the town's wooden walls are just a speck on the horizon to their rears.

As the heroes ride out of sight, the orcs that were left on the battlefield the day before go about the business of separating their dead from their wounded, and their walking wounded from those that need to be carried. Any orcs who are well enough try their best to chip away at the crystal prisons of their comrades created by Terri's enchanted sword. They hit the crystal with maces and hammers, but do little more than scratch the surface. As the orcs work, a mysterious yellow mist floats over. The mist takes form and solidifies into the forms of Argoth and his five mercenaries.

"Who are you?" asks the orc captain.

"I am Argoth," replies the wizard, "The Wizard Of A Thousand Eyes. Your new master."

"I think not," says the captain, "Attack!"

Several orcs charge at them. Argoth fires three magical rays from the three eyes on the front of his face, plus two more from the palms of his hands. As the rays hit the orcs, they burst into flames and turn to ash. Another orc tries to attack from behind. Captain Cordon draws her rapier and thrusts it into the orc's belly. The orcs freezes solid, and then falls to the ground and shatters.

Two more orcs attack from the side with axes. Zogarr blocks the axes with his bionic arm, and then backhands them across the face, hurling them back several feet. Another orc tries to impale General Zoa with its spear. Zoa catches the spear by the shaft, then picks up the orc and throws it into a group of his companions. Talona and Viper pounce on two more of the orcs and deliver their venomous bites. The remaining orcs back off.

"Where do you make camp?" asks Argoth.

"In the mountains, to the north," says the orc captain.

"Where in the mountains?" asks Argoth.

"Second peak to the right," replies the orc, "Half way up the eastern slope. In a deep cave. It leads to a labyrinth of tunnels. In the heart of the labyrinth is a great cavern, which holds the great city of the orcs."

"Who rules there?"

"Lord Grool."

"Then return home, with a message for your Lord Grool."

"What is the message?" asks the orc captain.

"He has two choices, Option A or Option B. Option A, he swear fealty to me, and lead the orcs under my banner."

"And Option B?"

"Option B, I incinerate him and give the same offer to his second in command!"

"I shall do as you command," says the orc captain.

"Excellent," says Argoth, "Now, I seek six children with powerful magical weapons. An Energy Bow, a Cloak Of Invisibility, a Thunder Club, a Griffon Shield, a Hat Of Many Spells, and a Javelin Staff."

"I know who you seek," says the captain, "We have been fighting them for years, since we were in the service of Venger. But they are no longer children. We fought the barbarian with the club just last night."

"The barbarian defeated you all single handed?" says Argoth in surprise.

"Not exactly single handed," admits the orc, "He was accompanied by a warrior woman whose magic sword traps her enemies in magic crystal. They were joined by another barbarian wielding a sword of magic flame, a sorceress dressed in blue, and a great hairy beast the likes of which we have never seen."

"Thundarr," growls Zogarr.

"No matter," says Argoth, "We shall soon have the weapons we seek. Where did the barbarian go?"

"I . . . I do not know."

"Very well," says Argoth, "Captain Cordon, go into town and learn where they went." He pulls a bag of coins from under his robe and tosses it to her. "Gold. To aid in the loosening of tongues. And Captain? Be sure no one knows that we are coming."

"My Lord," says the orc captain, "What of us?"

Argoth holds his hands out to the orcs trapped in crystal and blasts them with magical energy. When the energy fades, the orcs who were trapped are freed. They all raise their weapons and cheer.

"Go now, and deliver my message," says Argoth.

"It shall be done, Master."

Miles away, Thundarr, Bobby, Terri, Ariel, and Ookla ride hard towards The Forest Of Know Trees. Princess Ariel keeps pace with Terri and her unicorn.

"So Terri," says Ariel, "Where did you get your sword? Was it a gift from Dungeon Master?"

"No," laughs Terri, "It was no gift. I had to earn it."

"Earn it? How?"

"After Bobby and the others had redeemed Venger, his minions were left leaderless. They scattered to the four corners of The Realm. Many of them sought leadership elsewhere. The lizard men and bullywugs rallied under Tiamat's banner. Many of the orcs followed an evil wizard named Kelek, while others flocked to an evil knight named War Duke."

"Well, after Bobby rescued me from the cataclysm that was heading to Earth, we had to stop War Duke. He had built a huge army of orcs and was planning on conquering the kingdom of Sir Lawrence. Once we had captured him, his army scattered. Since I was the only one in the group without a weapon, I was allowed to keep his sword. We stayed with Sir Lawrence for several months, during which time I trained with the finest knights in the kingdom. By the time we left, I was a pretty fair swordswoman."

"Okay," says Ariel, "So that explains the sword. What's with the fun in the sun look? Not much protection if you ask me."

"Look who's talking?" laughs Terri, "Where'd you get your adventuring outfit? Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue?"

"Touché," says Ariel.

"Anyway, the chainmail is heavily enchanted. It provides me with more protection than a suit of mithril full plate armor, complete with shield and helmet."

"Mithril?"

"A silver metal, more valuable than platinum and stronger than steel. It doesn't exist on Earth, but it is available in The Realm."

The five friends continue on their way towards The Forest Of Know Trees. They reach the forest's edge just as the sun reaches its zenith. They ride their mounts into the wood. Hours later, they arrive at a comfortable little cottage. A humble home made of logs, with a stable off to the side which houses a pair of horses. There's a simple vegetable garden in the yard, and a shed next to the stables. Two small children are playing in the yard, no more than six years old. They're twin boys with bright blonde hair, and look very much like Bobby did when he first arrived in The Realm, if a bit younger. They look up from their game as they hear approaching hoof beats and get the biggest smiles when they see who has come to visit.

"Unka Bobby!" they cry as they run up to greet him, "Unka Bobby!"

"Hey! How are you two little rascals?" says Bobby as he dismounts Uni and gives the boys a hug

.

A very pretty young girl of about twelve years of age, just beginning to blossom into womanhood, steps out of the cottage. She has bright red hair, freckles, and green eyes. The spitting image of Sheila when she was that young. She's wearing the simple skirt and blouse of a peasant. She pokes her head back into the house.

"Mama!" she calls, "Uncle Bobby and Auntie Terri are here!"

Then the girl walks over to Bobby and gives him a warm hug hello. Terri dismounts Silverbeard and hugs the children as well. Then out steps who could only be Sheila. She is obviously older than she was the last time Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla saw her. Where before she was a very pretty girl of about fifteen years of age, she has now matured into a beautiful woman in her thirties. Like her daughter, she too wears simple peasant garb.

"Bobby The Barbarian," she says, "How are you doing, little brother."

"Aw sis," he says, "Look who came to visit us!"

"Thundarr?" says Sheila, "Ariel? Ookla? What are you all doing here?"

"We came to rescue you," says Thundarr.

"From The Realm?" asks Sheila, "Thanks, but we've all decided the best thing to do would be to stay here."

"No, not from The Realm," says Ariel, "From an evil wizard named Argoth who wishes to steal your magic weapons in order to conquer all."

"Oh no, not again!" says Sheila.

"Where's Hank?" asks Bobby, "We need to warn him too."

"He's gone hunting," replies Sheila, "He'll be back soon. Come on inside. I've just put on a pot of stew. It'll be ready in a little while."

They all head into the house. As soon as Bobby sits down, the twins jump up onto their uncle's knees.

"Unka Bobby! Unka Bobby!" says one of the twins, "Did you fight any orcs today?"

"Trolls?" asks the other.

"Dragons?"

"Goblins?"

"Bullywugs?"

"Ogres?"

"Giants?"

"Minotaurs?"

"As a matter of fact," Bobby replies, "Your Auntie Terri and I just fought a bunch of orcs just yesterday. In fact, that's how we managed to bump into our old friends, Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla."

"Really?" asks one twin.

"Can you tell us about it?" asks the other.

"Later," says their mother, "Right now it's time for grown up talk."

"Awwww," they both whine.

"Boys . . ." says Sheila in her best motherly voice.

"Oh alright," say the twins in unison.

"A wonderful family you have, Sheila," says Ariel.

"Thank you," says Sheila, "The boys are Aragorn and Arathorn, and my daughter's name is Arwyn."

"Interesting names," says Ariel.

"Hank and I both really enjoyed reading _The Lord Of The Rings_ in high school," Sheila replies, "So when we decided to stay in The Realm and raise a family we though, 'Hey, when in Rome . . .'"

"When in Rome?" asks Thundarr.

"It's an old Earth saying," explains Ariel, "_When in Rome, do as the Romans do_."

"I still don't understand."

"_The Lord Of The Rings_ is an ancient fictional story about wizards and warriors, monsters and magic. It was written thousands of years before The Cataclysm, at a time when magic was considered to be the work of fiction. Much of what was written in that tale is very real here on this world. So when Hank and Sheila decided to raise a family here, they also decided to name their children after characters in the book."

"So what does that have to do with Rome?"

"Nothing. It's just a figure of speech."

Thundarr shakes his head in confusion. "I'll never understand The Ancients," he says.

The others all have a good chuckle. At that very moment, the door bursts open and in walks Hank. He's still wearing his Ranger garb, and he is carrying his Energy Bow. He's slightly taller than he was seventeen years ago. Not much, but he had grown a few inches after the age of sixteen. He's also of broader shoulder, for living in the wild has provided him with plenty of exercise. The most notable change is that he has grown a full beard and mustache.

"Good news!" he says as he comes in through the door, "We'll have plenty of venison for the next few days. But what's with all the horses out front?"

"Hank!" says Bobby as he stands up and rushes to hug his brother-in-law.

"Bobby! I didn't know you were in the neighborhood! Nice mustache. It'll look great once it grows in."

"Aw, Hank! That joke is so old," says Bobby, "Anyway, Terri and I needed to see you guys. It's important."

"What is it?" asks Hank.

"You and your wife are in terrible danger," says Thundarr, "As are all of your friends."

"Thundarr?" says Hank in surprise as he realizes who it is Bobby had brought to his home.

"Aye. It is good to see you again, Ranger."

"I just wish it could be under happier circumstances," adds Princess Ariel.

"What is it?" asks Hank, "What's going on?"

"An evil wizard from our world, by the name of Argoth, has come here with five of our deadliest rivals in order to steal your magic weapons," Thundarr explains, "Without your weapons, these six villains are a powerful group. If they were to succeed?"

"They'd be unstoppable," Bobby adds.

"Why have they come here now?" asks Hank, "After so many years?"

"We don't know for sure," says Ariel, "But I think Argoth didn't fully realize just how far into Earth's past you and your friends were from. When he reopened the portal at the amusement park, he only went back two thousand years. But the time of The Cataclysm was two thousand seven years ago."

"And we were sent to The Realm eleven years before that," concludes Hank.

"If Thundarr, Ookla, and I hadn't learned of his plot and followed him here, his miscalculation could have worked to his advantage. While you and your friends are scattered, you're alone and vulnerable. We'll have to reunite all six of you to even have a chance of defeating this evil."

"You two must come with us," says Thundarr, "We must find Eric, Diana, and Presto to have a chance against Argoth and his mercenaries."

"You can count on us Thundarr!" says Hank.

"Right!" agrees Sheila, "We're more than just friends. We're family. We may not have seen each other for months, or even years, but there's still nothing in the world we wouldn't do for those guys!"

"But where are they?" asks Ariel.

"I don't know about Eric and Presto," Sheila replies, "But Diana is in the city of Turan. She became a celibate monk in the service of The Temple Of Light. It's the closest she feels she can get to being with her soul mate, Kosar."

"How romantic," says Ariel.

Thundarr and Bobby roll their eyes. "Females," they say in unison, which prompts Terri to slap her husband on the arm.

"Kidding!" says the barbarian.

"We'll have to ask Tree Beard about where Eric and Presto are," says Hank.

"Tree Beard?" asks Thundarr.

"The nearest Know Tree," Hank explains, "I started calling him Tree Beard because he reminds me a lot of a character I read about in . . . "

"_The Lord Of The Rings_," says Ariel, finishing the thought.

"How far away is it from this . . . Tree Beard?" asks Thundarr.

"About an hour's ride from here," says Sheila, "If we hurry, we can be there and back before supper."

"You'd better get changed into your adventuring gear," Hank tells his wife.

"I haven't worn that thing in years," says Sheila as she walks towards their bedroom to change, "I hope it still fits."

"Me too," says Hank, "I always thought you looked really sexy in that thing."

"Hank! Not in front of the children!"

The kids all giggle at their mother's embarrassment. Even some of the adults have a chuckle. A few minutes later Sheila emerges from the bedroom, wearing the short pink dress and brown thigh high boots she wore for all those years of gallivanting about The Realm.

"I'm either going to have to go on a diet or take this thing out when we get back," says Sheila, "I can't seem to get the top few buttons done up."

"Don't bother," replies Hank, "I think you look better with them undone."

"Hank!" says Sheila as she turns such a bright red her freckles disappear.

"Come on, you guys," Bobby interrupts them, "We have some friends to save. Remember?"

"Arwyn," says Sheila as she fastens her Cloak Of Invisibility around her neck, "You are in charge. Keep an eye on your brothers, and make sure the stew doesn't burn. We'll be back soon."

"Yes Mama," replies the girl.

"And you two," says Sheila, addressing the twins, "You mind your sister and do as you're told. We won't be gone long."

"Yes Mama," say the twins in a mischievous tone.

"I mean it!" says Sheila, "When we get back, if I find out you've been misbehaving, it'll be the hairbrush for the both of you!"

"You two listen to your mother!" adds Hank, "Your sister's in charge while we're away, so behave yourselves."

"Yes Papa," say the twins, all mischief gone from their voices.

"Good!"

The adults all leave the cottage. Hank goes to his stables and retrieves his and Sheila's horses, a white stallion not unlike Thundarr's and a black mare. He and Sheila strap their saddles onto their horses, then mount up. They spur their horses into a gallop, with Thundarr and the others following close behind. None of them notice a pair of dark forms skulking in the shadows behind the bushes.

As promised, the Know Tree called Tree Beard was only about an hour's ride away. The seven friends dismount and tether their horses to nearby trees. Hank leads them all to a big gnarly looking tree, which looks like it was old when most of these other trees were merely saplings. The ranger walks up to it and knocks on the trunk.

"Hello? Tree Beard? Are you awake?"

Suddenly a pair of intelligent looking eyes flutter open and look at the ranger. Then they look about at the gathered group of adventurers. Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla stare at the spectacle of an intelligent tree waking up with awe and wonder. To everyone else, this was just an old friend waking up from a nap.

"Why hello, Ranger," says the tree, "It has been many moons since your last visit. Many moons indeed."

"I'm sorry my friend," replies Hank, "Being a husband and a father keeps me rather busy."

"Ha-ha-ha!" laughs the tree, "So it does! So it does!"

"Tree Beard, we need your help."

"Indeed you do," replies Tree Beard, "A great evil has come to The Realm. A greater evil than it has seen in many a year."

"And it's coming right for us."

"It is," agrees the Know Tree, "It is indeed. And it isn't coming alone. It is building an army."

"I would hardly call six people an army," says Bobby.

"No, young barbarian. Not those he brought with him," says Tree Beard, "He's recruiting an army here in The Realm. In time, they will be strong enough to cover the world in darkness."

"We have to stop them!" says Hank. "We need to find our friends Eric and Presto. We need to join forces to stop this Argoth before he gets any further with his plans."

"And you must hurry, for you haven't much time. He has already recruited the minions of the orc lord, Lord Grool. If others rally to his cause . . ."

"Damn you, tree!" Shouts Thundarr, "I have no time for flowery speeches! Where are the ones named Eric and Presto? Tell us now! Or by The Lords Of Light, I swear I shall chop you up into firewood!"

"Now, now, Thundarr," says the tree, "There is no reason for violence. Your friend The Cavalier has joined The Order Of The Celestial Knights . . ."

"We know that already!" says a very frustrated Thundarr.

"What you do not know, is that he patrols the borders of the kingdom of Khadish. Where, when he is not performing his duties as a Celestial Knight, he is with his new bride Princess Ayesha, and his father-in-law, King Ramuud."

"Eric married Ayesha?" says Bobby in surprise.

"Yes," says the tree, "And he is now heir to the kingdom of Khadish. When King Ramuud is no more, The Cavalier shall inherit all of his lands, wealth, power, and responsibilities."

"Wow," says Terri, rather impressed.

"And what about Presto?" asks Princess Ariel.

"The sorcerer Presto has married his lady love, Miss Varla," replies the Know Tree, "They have taken up residence in the former castle of Merlin The Magnificent."

"Oh great," says Bobby in a very disappointed tone.

"What is it?" asks Thundarr, "What's wrong?"

"Merlin's castle is located on a magical cloud," Hank explains, "It can travel anywhere."

"Very true," agrees Tree Beard, "But every year, Presto and his wife return to the town of Helix for their annual celebration of Merlin's defeat of the dragon horde. A holiday they call, _Dragon Fall_."

"That's not too long from now," says Sheila.

Tree beard suddenly becomes extremely alarmed. "Oh no!" he says, "You must get back to your cottage, Ranger! Hurry!"

"What?" says Hank, "Why? What's going on?"

He turns and looks towards the cottage. There in the distance, a thick column of smoke rises into the air. Hank gasps in horror.

"The house is on fire!" he cries.

"Oh my goodness!" cries Sheila, "The children!"

Everyone scrambles onto their mounts then spurs them into a gallop, all the while not noticing the two shadowy figures hiding in the bushes. Talona and Viper grin wickedly at each other as Thundarr and his friends race to the children's rescue. Silent as Death, they slip through the shadows after their prey.

When Hank, Sheila, and the others arrive at the cottage, they find the place engulfed in flames. Standing in the yard in front of the burning building are Argoth and three of his minions. The barbarian, Zogarr, has a hold of the girl Arwyn. The mechanical claw of his bionic arm is clasped about her throat, while his other arm holds her tight about the waist, keeping her feet up off the ground. Next to him stands the massive General Zoa, holding little Aragorn about the waist with one hand, while his other hand is clamped firmly over the boy's mouth, preventing him from crying out. On Zogarr's other side stands Captain Cordon, her hand over Arathorn's mouth and the edge of the crystal blade of her enchanted rapier held against the boy's throat.

Thundarr and his friends rein their mounts to a halt. Ookla and Hank draw their bows and aim them at the villains. Thundarr takes up his Sunsword and ignites the blade, while Terri draws her magic sword. Bobby raises his Thunder Club, ready to charge, while Princess Ariel raises her hands above her head, her hands crackling with magical energy.

"Drop your weapons!" demands Argoth.

"Let my children go!" Hank replies.

"I have no quarrel with you, or your children, Ranger!" says Argoth, "All I desire is your weapons! Hand them over, and I shall set them free!"

"Argoth!" shouts Thundarr, "It's me you want! Let those children go!"

"I shall deal with you soon enough, _barbarian_!" scoffs the wizard, "But for now, I want your friends' weapons."

Sheila starts inching her hand up towards the hood of her cloak, while Bobby and Terri look at each other and nod. Uni and Silverbeard's horns begin to glow.

"I wouldn't recommend that!" says Captain Cordon, "Not unless you want to be the proud parents of an ice sculpture!"

Sheila's and freezes in place, and Uni and Silverbeard give each other worried looks.

"If any of you disappear from sight," says Argoth, "The children shall be dead long before you can reappear."

"Let them go Argoth!" shouts Hank.

"Give me your weapons or they die!"

"Well, maybe not all of them," says Zogarr, "It seems such a waste to dispose of such a pretty thing as this."

The black bearded barbarian lifts Arwyn up higher, so that her face is right next to his. He sticks out his tongue and drags it up the side of her face in a gross approximation of eroticism. She winces in fear and disgust as he licks her.

"Nothing like deflowering a virgin to start your day off right! Eh, General?"

General Zoa grins wickedly at the suggestion. Apparently, the thought of raping a child isn't a distasteful one to the mutant. Hank's eyes narrow in anger as he shifts his aim towards the barbarian.

"Whattaya say, General?" taunts Zogarr, "You want sloppy seconds? Or maybe we can double team her? I can batter down the front gates while you break in through the rear!"

"If you even _think_ about hurting my daughter!" shouts Hank, "I swear by all that is holy that I will _kil_l each and every last one of you!"

"I've already thought about it, boy!" replies Zogarr, "And I liked it!"

"I will not ask you again!" says Argoth, "Hand over your weapons! Or the children die!"

Hank takes several steadying breaths, then slowly eases the draw on his Energy Bow. He throws the weapon midway between them and Argoth's group. Seeing no alternatives, Bobby and Sheila toss the Thunder Club and Cloak Of Invisibility to the ground too.

"And the girl's sword," says Argoth, "War Duke will be wanting his property back when he agrees to join forces with me."

Terri tosses her magic sword into the pile as well. Viper and Talona come forth out of the bushes and retrieve the surrendered weapons. Viper slips the cloak about her shoulders and fastens it in place. Talona hands the club to Zogarr and the bow to General Zoa, then stands with them, with the enchanted sword in her hands.

"And the children?" says Thundarr.

Argoth begins to laugh evilly, a laughter his henchmen join in on. A yellow mist rises up about them, obscuring them from view. Still, their wicked laughter lingers in the air.

"Demon Dogs!" curses Thundarr as he charges into the mist.

As the mist clears, Thundarr and the children are standing there alone, as the wizard and his henchmen are nowhere to be found. Hank and Sheila run to their children and grab them in a desperate embrace. Bobby and Terri join their family in their relief, while Princess Ariel uses her magic to extinguish the flames. Thundarr looks upon his friends with a mixture of sorrow, fear, and frustration. Things, it seems, have just gotten a whole lot worse.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

As Princess Ariel's magic finishes extinguishing the flames of the burning cottage, Sheila cries in a mixture of joy and relief at the fact that her children are safe, and in sadness that her home has been burned down. Suddenly, Thundarr is startled by the image of someone inside the ruined cottage. He readies his Sunsword, while Ookla aims his bow and Ariel prepares her spells. Then, from out of the smoke and shadows of the ruined cottage steps Dungeon Master.

"Dear me!" exclaims the little man, "What happened here?"

"It was Argoth!" says Thundarr in disgust.

"Dungeon Master, he has our weapons!" Hank informs him.

"We're so sorry," says Sheila, "But he had our children. What else were we supposed to do?"

"There is no reason to apologize, my pupils," Dungeon Master assures them, "You did the only thing any parent could do. You saved your children."

"What are we supposed to do now?" asks Hank.

"You must go and warn the others," Dungeon Master replies, "Only together will you be able to defeat this threat. But you must make haste. For Argoth has also learned of your friends' location, and he will be heading there as well."

"But we can't just leave our children all alone," says Sheila, "Not like this!" and she points to their ruined home.

"Not to worry, my child," replies the strange little man, "You have many friends in The Realm, for there are many people you have freed from evil. Some from the evil of others, some from the evil in their own hearts. I shall take your progeny somewhere where they will be safe, until you can return home."

"Can't you look after them Dungeon Master?" Bobby asks him.

"I am sorry, Barbarian, but no. The work of the Dungeon Master never ceases. There are many things in The Realm that require my attention. And I'm afraid that looking after these three children, as fond of them as I may be, would be far too great a distraction."

"Then who will look after them?" asks Hank, "Venger?"

"I'm afraid Venger has his hands full with Shadow Demon's latest evil plot. Ever had that demon been a thorn in Venger's side, since his control over the creature was shattered upon his redemption."

"Then who?" asks Sheila.

"Why, none other than the very soul you had saved yourself, Sheila, with your friendship, and your love."

"Kareena?"

"We get to see Auntie Kareena?" say the twins.

"None other," replies Dungeon Master.

"You know," says Princess Ariel, "You could've just said that in the beginning without all the mystery. We're kind of pressed for time."

"Dear me, you're right!" he replies, "You must hurry to the city of Turan to warn The Acrobat. While Argoth travels by magic, you do have one advantage."

"What's that?" asks Terri.

"He seeks to raise an army of orcs to cover The Realm in darkness. He will be stopping along the way to accomplish this goal. If you do not stop, you stand a good chance of arriving first." Then Dungeon Master gathers Arwyn, Aragorn, and Arathorn about him, and the four of them hold hands. Smoke from the smoldering ruins of the cottage seems to wrap around them like a blanket. "Remember," he says as they fade from view, "You have made many enemies here in The Realm, but many friends as well."

"Well," says Bobby, "He's gone again."

"Is that typical behavior?" asks Ariel.

"For Dungeon Master?" says Hank, "Pretty much."

"Enough talk!" says Thundarr, "Time is short! Everyone! To your mounts!" The entire group mounts their horses (or in the cases of Ookla, Bobby, and Terri, their equart and unicorns). Thundarr's white stallion rears up on its hind legs. "To Turan! RIIIIDE!" and they follow the barbarian's lead and ride off at a full gallop.

Miles away, as the moons raise high into the night sky, War Duke sits in his cell in King Lawrence's dungeons. No longer does he wear the frightful horned helmet that made others tremble with intimidation. Nor does he wear the fine clothes he afforded as a mercenary and bounty hunter. After many long years of captivity, his once luxurious black locks had turned gray. His hair falls past his shoulders, a tattered mess. His beard and mustache, so long has it been that they had seen comb or scissor, that they have grown thick and wild. His clothes are the tattered rags of a beggar. His wrists and ankles are clasped in heavy irons that no man might break.

His arms and legs are still heavily muscled, for he is put to heavy labor as part of his punishment. Yet King Lawrence is not a cruel king, and thus War Duke is fed well. No gourmet cuisine by any means. But the king will not allow any in his kingdom to starve. Not even a criminal chained in his dungeons. Thus War Duke is a broken man. Healthy and strong, perhaps, but still broken.

On this night, however, something is different. As he lies on his bunk and tries to sleep, an unnatural prickling up his spine tells him something is amiss. He stands up and looks around, trying to spot the source of his discomfort. He sees nothing in the dark gloom. Then a peculiar yellow mist slips in through the bars of his window. It floats along the floor, and then moves to the bars of his cell. The mist shifts and takes form, until standing before him in the green robes of a wizard, is a strange bald headed man, with at least a dozen eyes all over his head. Standing behind him, on the other side of the bars, are five companions. A barbarian with a metal arm holding a wooden club. An orange skinned giant with red eyes and horns, holding a golden bow. A beautiful woman warrior with a rapier belted to her hip. And two female lizard folk, one of which is wearing a purple cloak. War Dukes eyes widen as he recognizes those weapons as being those of the Dungeon Masters hated pupils, who had captured him and put him here so very long ago.

"Who are you?" demands War Duke.

"I am Argoth," replies the wizard, "Master of one of the Seven Citadels of Sorcery. The Wizard of A Thousand Eyes. The mightiest of all wizards."

"Never heard of you," says War Duke.

"Of course not," says Argoth, "I am new to this world."

"What do you want?"

"You."

"What for?"

"I am building an army," explains Argoth, "An army of the pig mutants you call, orcs. I need someone to command this army, and to help maintain my conquered lands while I am away, adding new territory to my lands back home. I have chosen you."

"And what do I get out of it?"

"Wealth. Power. Your own citadel. Whatever your heart desires. But firsts and foremost . . ."

Argoth extends his hand, and a beam of yellow energy shoots forth from the eye in his palm and strikes War Duke. The evil warrior's entire body glows with brilliant energy. When the energy from the spell fades, he is clad in full plate armor of blackened steel, with wicked sharp ridges and barbed spikes sticking out at various strategic points. The heavy chains from the irons which had bound his wrists and ankles had vanished.

" . . . I offer you your freedom," finishes the wizard. Then he reaches under his robes and removes War Duke's enchanted sword.

"My Lord," says War Duke as he drops to his knee, "I am yours to command!"

"Rise then, War Duke," says Argoth, "And join my campaign."

War Duke stands before his new master, and retrieves the sword which had been taken from him long ago. Just as the enchanted blade slides into its jeweled scabbard, the heavy iron bound oak door unlocks, and in steps the night guard carrying a lantern. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees the strangers standing just outside War Duke's cell.

"What's going on here?" asks the guard, "Who are you?"

General Zoa quickly takes up his newly acquired Energy Bow and fires of several arrows at the guard. Each arrow wraps itself about the guard's body, until he is completely bound and unable to move. As he struggles to try and free himself, the guard falls to his knees. Zogarr calmly walks up to the guard, his Thunder Club glowing with magical power. When he gets to the guard, he slowly raises the club up over his head, ready to strike.

"You win!" says the guard, "I yield! I yield!"

"Good to know," says Zogarr.

Then the barbarian brings the club down onto the guards head with a wet _SPLAT_. Zogarr pulls his club away from the bloody mess that was once the guard. A frost giant grinding the man under his heel wouldn't have done any more damage than that one strike with the club. Zogarr looks at the bloodied end of his new weapon and smiles in satisfaction.

"I like this club," he says.

"Enough of this!" demands Argoth, "Zogarr! Come! We must be off!"

"Don't order me around like a dog, wizard," growls Zogarr as he rejoins the others.

"Then don't give me a need to, _barbarian_," the wizard replies.

Argoth raises his arms, and the same yellow mist comes billowing out of the sleeves of his robe. The seven evil companions fade from view, then the yellow mist floats out of the window, leaving the dungeon empty but for the slain guard smashed into the floor.

Elsewhere, Thundarr, Ariel, Ookla, and their four friends, sit about the campfire. They had ridden hard that day, and managed to cover much ground. They still have a long way to go however, and spirits were not high.

"I'm worried," says Sheila.

"The kids will be okay," says Hank, "Kareena will watch out for them. And I'm sure Dungeon Master will stop by from time to time."

"No, it's not that," says Sheila, "Well, at least it's not _just_ that. I'm worried about whether or not we're going to be able to get our weapons back. And what Argoth and his henchmen will be doing with those weapons until we do get them back."

"Hey, don't worry," Hank replies, "We've lost our weapons plenty of times, but we always managed to get them back."

"Yeah," agrees Bobby, "And we were just a bunch of dumb kids back then. Now we're grown ups. We're bigger, stronger, and smarter than we were then."

"Yeah, but I got a feeling that this Argoth guy is way worse than Venger _ever_ was," she replies.

"He might be," agrees Princess Ariel, "But now you've got help. Thundarr, Ookla, and I are not that easy to defeat ourselves. And teamed up with the rest of you guys? What chance does any evil wizard have?"

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up you guys," says Sheila, "But I just can't shake this feeling that somehow things are gonna get a whole lot worse before they can get any better."

"You're just spooked because we haven't gone out on a quest in a long time," says Hank, trying to sound more confident than he actually felt. "Get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

Sheila crawls under the blankets with Hank and curls up next to him. The Ranger wraps his arm around his wife and holds her close. She drifts off to sleep to the sound of his heart beating. Meanwhile, Hank stares into the coals of their campfire and tries to drift off. But he has too many unpleasant thoughts running through his head. Like, 'Will he ever see his children again?' and 'Will they actually be able to defeat this new threat?'.

Bobby and Terri are just as worried as Hank and Sheila. And just like them, they are having difficulty sleeping. Bobby had been using that Thunder Club to fight evil for so long, it had practically become an extension of his own body. Losing it to the barbarian Zogarr and his cruel master, it felt like his arm had been amputated at the shoulder. And to go up against his own club, wielded by a barbarian who is as ruthless as he is strong? And to do so unarmed? He doesn't like those odds. And Terri's not only afraid of what will happen when they finally catch up to their query, but also of what she might dream of when she sleeps. Her dreams have been dark as of late, and her dreams always come true.

Thundarr sits and watches over his friends. In his mind he still thinks of them as his 'young friends', but that's hardly accurate anymore. Hank and Sheila are about the same age as he is. Bobby and Terri are the same age as Princess Ariel, or at least very close to it. And as confident as he is in his own abilities, as well as those of his companions, the only one of them with a magic weapon is himself. Granted, Ariel does have her spells and Ookla does have his great strength. But going up unarmed against The Weapons of Power, which are being wielded by six of the most powerful and deadly opponents he and his friends have ever faced. Even as brave and as stubborn as he is, Thundarr cannot help but to dislike their odds. If they can reach Diana, Eric, and Presto before Argoth and his men do, they'll have a chance. If not . . .

In the hidden lair of Lord Grool, the orcs are preparing for war. They dig in the mines night and day, hauling up metal ore to turn into steel. They stoke the furnaces constantly, burning wagons full of coal. They work tirelessly at the forges, crafting spears, swords, and axes, helmets and shields. Lord Grool sits on his throne and oversees all that his orcs are doing with great satisfaction. A familiar yellow mist floats into the throne room and takes shape in front of the throne. The mist solidifies into the forms of Argoth, Captain Cordon, Zogarr The Barbarian, General Zoa, Viper, Talona, and now . . . War Duke. Lord Grool removes himself from the throne and kneels before the wizard.

"Master," he says, "The preparations for the campaign go well. Weapons and armor are coming out of our smithies nearly as quickly as the ores come out of our mines."

"And what of our troops?" asks Argoth.

"They are working the forges and the mines night and day," replies Grool, "They are eager to begin the march."

"I see," says Argoth, apparently unimpressed. "Lord Grool! You remember War Duke, do you not?"

"Sir!" ejaculates Grool, "Welcome back! We thought you would have been locked up for good!"

"I'm sure you were very broken up at the thought," replies War Duke.

"War Duke!" says Argoth, "I leave you in charge here. My associates and I have business elsewhere. See to it that our army has reached its full strength in time for us to march."

"Aye, Master," says War Duke with a bow. He stands and watches as Argoth and his five mercenaries disappear in a cloud of yellow mist. Then he turns to Lord Grool. "Round up as many orcs as you can spare!" he tells him, "They are to go out into this mountain range and start recruiting other clans! I want every orc, goblin, bugbear, and ogre hiding in every stinking hole in these mountains to know. Any clan that joins our army will share in the glory and spoils of our victory. Any one of them that has not joined our army by the time we're ready to march, shall be crushed under our boots. Understood?"

"Yes, War Duke," says Lord Grool with a bow. The orc leader turns on his heel and hurry's to do War Duke's bidding.

Thundarr, Ariel, and the others are riding hard across the land. They woke with the rising sun, some of them after having almost no sleep. They had a fast simple breakfast of fruits and nuts, then mounted their steeds and continued on their way. They push their mounts as hard as they dare. Hank's white stallion, which looks very much like Thundarr's own, is sweating profusely as he rides.

"Come on Silver!" Hank encourages him, "You can do it! Just a little farther!"

"Silver?" says Thundarr curiously.

"Yeah, that's what I called my horse!" replies the ranger.

"How did you come up with that name?" asks the barbarian.

"It was the name of _The Lone Ranger_'s horse!" says Hank.

"Who is . . . The Lone Ranger?" asks Thundarr.

"A character from a book," replies Ariel, who is riding her mare close enough to the two men to overhear their conversation.

"It was one of Hank's favorites back home!" says Sheila as she gets close enough to listen in as well. "Mine was always _Black Beauty_!"

"Let me guess!" says Ariel as she glances down at Sheila's black mare.

"Yep!" says Sheila, "Her name's _Beauty_!"

"How much farther is it to this city?" asks Thundarr.

"Turan?" says Hank, "Not too far actually! If we can keep up this pace, we should reach the river where we met Kosar by nightfall!"

"Really?" says Bobby, "We're that close?"

"To the river anyway," replies Hank, "The exact spot on the river where we met Kosar is another day's ride along the river's edge!"

"Then how far from there?" asks Terri.

"By foot it was at least a full day's march! Remember?"

"No!" replies Terri, "I wasn't with you guys then! I had already made it home!"

"Right! I almost forgot!"

"Hey Hank!" calls Princess Ariel, "When did you become so good at finding your way around The Realm?"

"As a Ranger, it kinda came with the job!" replies Hank, "Not to mention all the walking around we had to do here! I think we must have circled the entire Realm at least once before finally ending Venger's evil!"

Far away, in a hidden castle surrounded by bushes with long, sharp thorns thick enough and long enough to be used as spears, wolves can be heard howling at the sky. In the throne room of this castle sits the wizard Kelek. A great dire wolf, the size of a light warhorse, lies at his feet. The throne room is filled with orcs, as is the castles courtyard. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Dungeon Master's hated pupils years ago, the wizard had been plotting to find a way to take his revenge. But he had been manipulated into doing battle with Venger, at that time The Face of Fear in The Realm. He had lost that fight, plus his entire pack of dire wolves. It had taken him years, but he finally had rebuilt his pack. He now owns several wolf packs. And after Venger's ultimate defeat, he had even taken on many of his aimless orc soldiers. He has trained his dire wolves to be ridden as mounts, and his orcs how to ride them. He now has probably the most fearsome cavalry in all The Realm.

But for all that he been able to rebuild, the one thing he has never been able to do is reclaim the horns of the unicorns. The magic of The Lost Valley of The Unicorns makes finding it without the aid of a unicorn virtually impossible. And Dungeon Master had trained his old pack of dire wolves as guardians of the last unicorn herd. Despite his best efforts, in all these years, Kelek has not once been able to find his way back to that valley, nor capture a single unicorn.

As the old wizard sits in his throne room, brooding, a yellow mist the likes of which he has never seen floats in through the window. The mist settles by the floor in front of his throne and begins to take shape. Kelek's dire wolf lifts its great head and begins to growl at the mist. The mist solidifies into the forms of Argoth, Captain Cordon, General Zoa, Zogarr the Barbarian, and the snake women Talona and Viper. Kelek gets to his feet, his eyes wild with rage.

"Who the devil do you think you are?" demand Kelek, "By the Abyss, no one trespasses in my citadel and gets away with it!"

"Calm yourself, mighty Kelek," says Argoth calmly, "We are not your enemies."

"Then who in Tartarus are you?" asks the old wizard, "And what the devil do you want?"

"I am Argoth," replies the many eyed wizard, "Supreme among wizards. And your new master."

Kelek's eye nearly fall out of their sockets, so enraged is he at such a claim, "Master?" he says "Master? Wizard or no, no one is Kelek's master! Get him!"

Kelek's dire wolf springs at Argoth, teeth bared and ready to rip his head off. Zogarr steps between the beast and his employer and swats the animal aside with the Thunder Club. The dire wolf yelps in pain as it flies through the air, crashing hard against the stone wall of the throne room. It falls to the hard flagstones and limps away, wanting no more of this fight. Kelek motions to his orc soldiers stationed to guard his throne room. They charge Argoth and his companions with weapons raised high.

General Zoa fires off arrow after arrow, each one striking an orc guard and knocking him to the ground. Talona pulls the hood of the Cloak of Invisibility up over her head, making herself invisible. As an orc charges at Viper, his weapon suddenly flies from his hand. As he stops and looks stupidly at the weapon as it lies on the floor, he suddenly goes flying through the air, as though he were thrown by someone, or something. Three orcs run up to Zogarr, intending to tear him apart. One swing of the Thunder Club sends them all flying through the air to slam against the wall and collapse in a heap. Two orcs come at Captain Cordon, their swords drawn. She draws the crystal blade of her rapier and parries both of their weapons in a single move. Frost forms on their blades where they came in contact with her sword, and spreads across their entire weapons. They drop their swords they're so cold, and the frozen steel shatters like glass as they hit the flag stones. The orcs back away, not wanting to have anything further to do with that woman and her vicious sword. All the while, Argoth just stands there staring straight at Kelek.

"Fools!" cries Kelek, "Must I do everything myself?"

Kelek holds his hands out at Argoth and fires a burst of magical energy at him. At the same time, Argoth holds up his hands and fires his own magical blast at Kelek. The two attacks collide in the middle, and it becomes a test of wills between the two wizards. Spell pushes against spell, as the two wizards duel with each other. Then something happens that catches Kelek completely by surprise. Magical beams of energy shoot forth from Argoth's two normally placed eyes, as well as the eye right in the middle of his forehead. The attack hits Kelek square in the face, sending him hurling back against the wall with tremendous force. The old wizard slumps down on the floor, defeated. Argoth calmly walks up to him and offers him a hand.

"I could have destroyed you easily," says The Wizard of A Thousand Eyes, "I chose not to. You have a powerful army of orcs at your command. I have need of such a force. I have a great conquest planned, for this world and others. Swear fealty to me, and I promise you a great share in the spoils of war. You shall be the commander of my elite cavalry, answerable to none save for me. Refuse, and I shall reduce you to ash where you now lie and take command of your orcs anyway. What say you?"

"Welcome to my citadel . . . Master."

Argoth can tell that the last word does not sit well with this proud wizard. But Kelek fears him as much as he loathes calling him Master. And it has always been Argoth's philosophy that fear was the best way to ensure obedience. So he helps the beaten wizard back up onto his feet.

"What is thy wish, my master?" asks Kelek, his voice dripping with venom.

"Do you know where the lair of Grool the Orc Lord is located?" asks Argoth.

"Of course," replies Kelek, "Many of my orc soldiers came to me from there. After War Duke had been captured by those accursed children, many of his orcs decided they'd prefer my rule to Grool's."

"They have sworn fealty to me. And I have placed War Duke back as their commander."

"You were able to break War Duke from King Lawrence's dungeons?" asks Kelek, "How?"

"The same way I bested you and your guards," Argoth replies, "With magic and might of arms. Now you are to mobilize your entire army. Lead them to Lord Grool's lair, and report to War Duke."

"I am to take orders from a mere warrior?"

"Of course not," replies Argoth, "You and he will be considered equals in my army. But War Duke has a far greater understanding of my long range plans, and will thus need to bring you up to speed."

"Very well," agrees Kelek, "My army will be ready to ride by nightfall."

"See to it that they are Kelek. See that they are."

Certain that he has Kelek cowed, Argoth raises his arms dramatically. His henchmen all gather around him, as yellow mist pours out of his robes. The mist hides all six of them from view. As the mist dissipates, Argoth and his mercenaries are gone. The orc commander approaches Kelek, the breastplate of his armor scorched where the Energy Bow's arrow had struck him.

"You orders, My Lord?"

"Mobilize the troops!" replies Kelek, "Prepare the wolf packs! We ride at dusk!"

"Very good, sir," says the orc. He salutes the wizard then runs off to do as ordered.

Kelek returns to his throne and sits back down. '_Damn_,' he thinks to himself, '_if those damnable unicorns aren't bad enough, now I have to bow down to yet another evil wizard_.' He looks about to see his orc guards are still milling about the throne room, nursing their wounds after their disastrous attempt to oust the intruders. Kelek's eyes bulge wildly in rage.

"What are you still doing here?" demands Kelek, "Get to work! NOW!"

As motivation, Kelek zaps one of the orcs in the buttocks, causing the guard to leap high into the air. The guards all run from the throne room to help with the mobilization of the troops. As soon as Kelek is alone in his throne room, he slumps into his great throne and buries his face into the palm of his hand.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Thundarr, Bobby, and the others finally arrive at the gates of Turan. The gates are closed, and a host of guards stand in front of them blocking anyone from approaching. The seven heroes rein their mounts to a halt. The head guard stands before them.

"Halt!" says the guard, "You may go no further!"

"What is the meaning of this?" demands Thundarr, "We must get to The Temple of Light!"

"The Temple of Light is under attack!" replies the guard, "No one may enter or leave the city, by order of His Majesty, the king!"

"Oh no!" cries Sheila, "Diana!"

"We're here to stop the attackers!" says Hank, "We're Diana's friends! We're the ones who helped get the child of the star gazer into the temple in time for Star Fall!"

"I'm sorry," says the guard, "But my orders come straight from the king himself. I cannot disobey."

Bobby and Terri look at each other and nod. They pat Uni and Silverbeard on their necks. The unicorns, having been the steeds of the two warriors for so long, knew exactly what was silently being asked of them. Their ivory horns begin to glow, and then the unicorns and their riders vanish. The guards all jump in surprise.

"W-where did they go?" asks the head guard.

"Inside the city," says Ariel, "To help our friend."

"Enough talk!" says Thundarr, taking up his Sunsword and igniting its fiery blade, "Stand aside dogs!"

Princess Ariel waves her hand, sending forth a wave of magical energy which knocks the guards off their feet. Thundarr's stallion rears up on its hind legs then leaps forward. The others quickly follow their friend. As Thundarr approaches the city gates, he cuts his way through the bars holding them shut. Princess Ariel then blasts the gates with her magic, throwing them wide open. Thundarr, Ariel, Ookla, Hank, and Sheila gallop through the opened gates. Hank and Sheila take the lead, as they've been to Turan before and know their way to the temple. As they head to the temple, several of the guards from the gate run after them, but soon fall far behind.

The five friends arrive at The Temple of Light. Lying strewn about the stairs to the main doors are several city guards. The temple doors have been blasted open, much like the city gates only with far greater damage. Lights flash inside the temple, and the sounds of battle echo through the streets. Thundarr and the others dismount and run up the steps. Hank quickly kneels next to one of the fallen guards and feels for a pulse.

"He's dead," Hank says solemnly, "These wounds look like they were caused by my bow."

Sheila checks on another guard, the beast plate of his armor caved in, the chest it was meant to protect crushed. "So is this one," she says.

They hear a loud crash, as though something large and heavy has fallen over.

"Bobby!" Sheila cries out in alarm.

"Everyone!" says Thundarr, "INTO BATTLE!"

They run into the temple and find that they've walked into a war zone. City guards lie crippled and broken on the temple floor. Some dead, others dying. Many of the monks have also fallen to the attacks of the six invaders. Still, others fight to defend their temple from the invaders. Princess Ariel stares in surprise. She was expecting to see the equivalent of the Byzantine Monks of Ancient Earth, like the fictional Friar Tuck from the Robin Hood stories. But these people appear more akin to the Shaolin monks of her Chinese ancestors.

Ariel spots Diana easily among her holy brethren. She still has her Javelin Staff, with which she is deflecting the deadly arrows of Hank's Energy Bow, being fired at her by the monstrous General Zoa. Although she no longer wears neither her fur bikini, nor the golden jewelry she wore as an adventuring acrobat, she has changed very little physically over the years. She's still a very beautiful black woman, though obviously more mature than she was seventeen years ago. Bobby is already here, and is trying to take his club back from Zogarr. Terri is trying to fight Viper in hand to hand combat. Neither of them is being terribly successful.

"Thundarr! Help Bobby!" shouts Ariel, "Argoth is mine!"

Thundarr runs straight for Zogarr, screaming his battle cry. "Yaaaaaaa-heeee!"

Hank runs straight for General Zoa, hoping to tackle him from behind. Unfortunately, Diana ruins any hopes of a surprise attack. "Hank!" she cries, alerting Zoa to the ranger's presence.

General Zoa whirls around and fires an arrow at the ranger. Hank dives out of the way, the energy bolt missing him by mere inches. He tumbles to his feet with an impressive somersault, and then dives at the general. Zoa uses the bow as a club and swats Hank away. Hank flies back and hits the floor hard, driving the air from his lungs.

Sheila runs to the aid of her sister-in-law. Terri has her hands full fighting the serpent woman Viper. Her skin crawls at the thought of having to grapple this snake person. Sheila hates snakes, always has. They give her the creeps. Now she has to not only touch one, but fight with it too. When she gets to Terri's side, Viper has thrown Terri down and is pinning her down, trying to sink her venomous fangs into Terri's flesh. Terri has one hand clasped firmly to Viper's throat, keeping her fangs at bay. Sheila is relieved to see that, unlike the lizard men of The Realm, these snake mutants have very human-like heads of hair. Never really one for a straight up confrontation, Sheila resorts to chick fighting. She grabs two handfuls of Vipers hair and pulls with all her strength, dragging the serpent girl off of Terri. Terri, being more straight forward in her tactics, brings her knee up to her chest and kicks out, driving the heel of her boot into Viper's chin.

Captain Cordon has her hands full with several of the temple monks, as well as a few of the city guards. She is completely surrounded, with guards and monks on all sides. One of the guards behind her attacks, thrusting his sword at her back. Her warrior instincts warn her of the danger, and she sidesteps the attack. Before he can recover his thrust, she strikes the steel blade of his sword with the crystal blade of her own. Frost spreads quickly along the steel blade, freezing the hand that wields it. The guard cries out in pain and drops the weapon, which shatters like glass. The guard backs away clutching his frozen hand to his chest, trying to restore the feeling in his fingers. Another guard charges, his sword held high for an overhead downward slash. Cordon parries the attack, and then thrusts her blade into one monk's belly, and ducks under another monk's kick to slash him across the thigh. Like the other guard, this guard's sword becomes too cold to hold and he drops it. The two monks become frozen solid. The one that was in mid-kick when he was struck tips over and shatters into a million pieces. Everyone backs off as they see their friend smash on the marble floor. Then Cordon callously kicks the other frozen monk, causing him to shatter as well.

Ookla sees several of the temple's monks over by the altar, looking around in panicked confusion. They have their hands up in a ready fighting stance, but they seem unsure of who to attack. Then Ookla sees the reason for their confusion. One of the monks cries out in pain as two holes appear in the side of his neck, and blood pours down his shoulder, staining his orange silken robe red. Another monk does an impressive thrust kick over his friend's shoulder. The bitten monk falls to the temple floor, foaming at the mouth and going into convulsions. The monk who had kicked at the invisible attacker hops about on one foot, his other leg suspended high in the air. The monk jumps up, clutching his groin as he groans in pain. Then he suddenly flies through the air to come slamming down onto the stone steps of the altar, cracking his skull on one of the steps.

The third monk starts kicking and punching wildly at thin air. He looks as though he's practicing some sort of insane kata. Finally one of the monk's kicks appears to hit something solid at about waist level. With an expression that's a mixture of surprise and relief, the monk then attempts an impressive scissor kick. However his foot comes down hard on the floor, and doesn't appear to have hit anything solid. The monk, with an expression of panic, tries a desperate back elbow strike, and again hits nothing. He tries punching out into the air, again hitting nothing. This time his arm appears stuck in mid-air. His wrist twists at an unnatural angle, and then bends over backwards, snapping the arm halfway up the forearm and causing the radius to burst through the skin and stick out. In another move of pure desperation, the monk lashes out with his good hand, right at face level. It connects to something solid this time, and the monk falls to the floor clutching his injured arm.

Ookla's keen cat-like senses pick up the scent of blood. Not just human blood, of which there's plenty, but snake blood. He charges forth ready to rend Talona limb from limb. As he approaches, the monks he has come to help move away in terror, for none of them have ever seen a mok before. And even at the best of times, seeing of a mok for the first time can be somewhat . . . unnerving. Seeing one that is ready for battle? That's downright terrifying. Ookla brings his great fists up over his head and brings them down in a powerful blow.

Had there been anyone standing there at the time, they would have been pulverized. Instead, the mok reduces the marble floor where his fists strike to gravel. He sniffs the air, trying to find his prey's scent. The mighty mok roars in pain and anger as he feels a pair of fangs sink deep into the flesh of his arm. With the reflexes of his feline ancestors, Ookla snatches his invisible attacker by the face. He stands up to his full height and holds his foe up off of the ground. The hood of the magic cloak slips back, revealing the face of the other serpent girl, Talona. Ookla slams her face into the floor, like a twentieth century wrestler slamming his opponent into the turnbuckle pad. Then the mok picks her up by the face and throws her across the room. She hits the stone wall of the temple hard and falls to the floor. Talona puts her hands underneath her and tries to push herself up, but collapses under her own weight. Ookla chuckles his bestial laugh, and begins to walk towards the fallen assassin. After only a couple of steps, however, he begins to lose his balance. He wobbles as he walks, as one who has drunk too much wine. Then the mighty Ookla stumbles and falls on his catlike face.

Princess Ariel hurls spell after spell at Argoth. Argoth has regained much of his lost power, however, and even without the hat he seeks he is a mighty foe. He deflects the best spells in Ariel's repertoire, and retaliates with his own. And to make matters worse for the princess, Argoth does not share the same weakness as do many other wizards and sorcerers. Unlike Ariel, who has to focus her magic through her hands, Argoth focuses his magic through his eyes, of which he has many. Thus Ariel is rendered powerless whenever her hands are bound, but Argoth is not. Princess Ariel ducks and dodges Argoth's magic as she counters with spells of her own.

Meanwhile, Argoth simply uses his own magic to deflect Ariel's spells. Casting defensive spells out of some eyes, and offensive spells out of others, Argoth is truly a frightening wizard to have to face. Argoth tries to destroy Ariel with a vicious attach from his two 'normally placed' eyes, the eye set in the center of his forehead, and the eyes set in the palms of his hands all at once. Ariel just barely manages to tumble out of the way with an impressive acrobatic handspring. The second her feet touch the ground she has to backpedal and nearly falls over, as she almost runs right into a magical blast from the eye just above Argoth's ear.

Princess Ariel fires back with magic of her own, but Argoth blocks it with a spell from the palm of his hand. He retaliates, once again using both his hands and all of his forward eyes. This time he even uses the eyes on the sides of his head, so as to cut off her escape routes. Rather than dodging to the side, Princess Ariel drops down into the splits, leaning forward until her chin touches the floor. As the magical beams of energy pass right over her head, she reaches forward and fires back with her own spell. This attack Argoth is unable to block, and hits him right in the groin. The wizard doubles over, clutching his injured area in pain.

Ariel allows herself a brief celebration for her minor victory. For as Argoth is bent over, he fires back at her from all of the eyes on the top of his head. Princess Ariel brings her legs about so that they're behind her and she's lying on her belly, and then quickly rolls over to the side as one of Argoth's magical attacks strikes the floor where she was lying just a split second before. Once again Ariel retaliates, this time hitting Argoth in the top of his head at an angle that his eyes cannot defend against. Argoth stands up straight, holding his injured head in pain. Princess Ariel quickly gets up and takes cover behind the shattered statue of Kosar.

Bobby circles Zogarr, trying to find an opening in the evil barbarian's defenses. Zogarr whips the Thunder Club about, daring Bobby to make a move. But Bobby has become a cunning warrior, and senses the trap Zogarr is baiting him for. But patience has never been Zogarr's strong suit. When the younger barbarian doesn't come to him, Zogarr brings the fight to Bobby. He swings the Thunder Club horizontally, aiming at Bobby's head. The younger barbarian ducks down, causing the swing to narrowly miss his horned helmet. Zogarr tries a low sweep of the club, but Bobby leaps up over the attack. Zogarr raises the club up high and brings it down to try and squash Bobby flat. Again, Bobby is too quick for him. He dives to the side and tumbles in an impressive somersault.

Unfortunately the younger barbarian neglected to take the Thunder Club's enchantment into consideration. As the club hits the marble floor, the shockwave throws Bobby from his feet. Bobby falls flat on his back, right at the feet of Zogarr. The black haired barbarian grins wickedly down at his opponent, and then raises his club up over his head. Bobby has nowhere to go, and no time to move. He sees the club coming down towards his head and closes his eyes just before the impact.

Nothing happened. Bobby opens his eyes and looks up. He sees Thundarr standing over him, the fiery blade of his Sunsword blocking the descent of the Thunder Club. Had the club been an ordinary piece of wood, the Sunsword would have sliced it in two. But the powerful enchantment of the club keeps the Sunsword's blade from cutting into the wood. Bobby sees that Thundarr is struggling to hold off the attack, as Zogarr presses down onto Thundarr's blade with the club. Taking advantage of the respite, Bobby rolls out from under the two weapons. Thundarr breaks off the clinch with Zogarr, and the two mortal enemies face off against each other. Bobby regains his feet and joins Thundarr.

"Go help the others," says Thundarr, "Zogarr is mine."

"But he has my club," Bobby protests.

"Which I will be returning to you shortly," replies Thundarr, "Go! I have this."

Bobby gives Zogarr a hateful stare, then runs off to help the others. Thundarr and Zogarr now circle each other, their weapons aglow with magical radiance, seeking a hole in the other's defenses. They lay into one another, their weapons flashing through the shadows. Sunsword and Thunder Club collide in a shower of sparks. The weapons move with blinding speed, making them little more than a blur. Glancing back at the duel between the two barbarians, Bobby is reminded of Luke Skywalker's fight with Darth Vader in _Empire Strikes Back_, or even _Return of the Jedi_. Although, he always found the fight in _Empire_ to be a tad more exciting. Luke talked too damn much in _Jedi_.

"Give it up, Thundarr!" growls Zogarr, "I'm mightier than ever! And my club is even more powerful than your Sunsword!"

"I've heard that from you before, Zogarr!" replies Thundarr, "Your boasting hasn't improved much since we last met!"

"Bah! You'll find I've improved greatly since we last met!"

"Enough talk! Shut up and fight!"

Again the two barbarians clash. Thundarr would never give Zogarr the satisfaction of saying this out loud, but even he has to admit the evil barbarian might be right. The power of the Thunder Club of so great, every parry of every blow Thundarr makes with his Sunsword makes his knees feel like their about to collapse and his arms go almost numb. So Thundarr goes on the offensive, slashing away at Zogarr with his Sunsword as hard and as fast as he can. But Zogarr is just as quick, and gets the Thunder Club in place to block each of Thundarr's attacks just in time. Thundarr doesn't know if it's because Zogarr is part machine, or if it's a power of the club, but the black bearded barbarian doesn't seem to tire during their fight. Yet sweat pours down Thundarr's face, stinging his eyes and making continuing the battle more difficult.

In his desire to try and end the fight quickly, Thundarr finally makes a crucial mistake. He swings his Sunsword just a little too high, giving Zogarr the opening he needs. Zogarr thrusts the Thunder Club into Thundarr's gut with all of his strength. The club strikes Thundarr with the force of a battering ram manned by a team of moks. The blonde barbarian flies backward and collides with the temple wall. He hits it hard and falls flat on his face, knocked out cold. The Sunsword clatters on the ground, its blade extinguished as it falls from Thundarr's grasp. A wicked grin spreads across Zogarr's face as he casually approaches the injured barbarian. He stands over Thundarr's prone body and raises the club to deliver the killing blow.

"Zogarr!" shouts Argoth, "Forget the barbarian! Help Zoa get the staff!"

Zogarr glares at Argoth. He looks down at the helpless Thundarr, then back at Argoth. Even with the Thunder Club in his possession, Zogarr thinks it's a bad idea to incur the wrath of that wizard. So with a cry of frustration, Zogarr turn and hurls the Thunder Club at the altar. The club hits the altar with tremendous impact, shattering the marble in a great explosion. A large slab of marble strikes Diana right between the shoulder blades, knocking her to the ground. One flies straight for General Zoa's head, but he quickly fires an arrow from the Energy Bow and destroys it. One piece hits Bobby square on the head, knocking him out cold. If he weren't wearing his horned helmet, he would have been killed. Both Argoth and Princess Ariel are able to shield themselves from the debris with their magic. Sheila and Terri have to let Viper go in order to dodge the flying debris, while viper dodges in the opposite direction. Talona lucks out, as none of the flying chunks of marble land on her. Ookla and Hank are both similarly lucky. Captain Cordon is not so lucky, however, as a large chunk of marble hits her on her left shoulder, dislocating it.

Zogarr, General Zoa, and Argoth casually stroll over to the prone form of Diana. Zogarr retrieves the Thunder Club, while Zoa places his foot on the back of Diana's neck and draws back on the Energy Bow, aiming the weapon right at her head. Princess Ariel, Terri, and Sheila all watch in horror as their friend is at the mercy of these villains.

"Stand down!" orders General Zoa, "Or I put an arrow through this girl's pretty skull!"

Terri, Sheila, and Ariel put their hands up and back away, trying not to antagonize these already highly antagonized villains any further. Viper and Captain Cordon help Talona back up on her feet, then go over to rejoin the others. When they get to where the altar used to be, Zogarr hands Diana's enchanted Javelin Staff over to Viper, who takes the item eagerly. Then they glare out over the heroes of The Realm.

"A valiant effort," says Argoth, "But I'm afraid, a wasted one. Four down . . . Two to go."

Then he throws his head back and laughs maniacally as he and his companions disappear in a cloud of yellow mist. As soon as they are gone, Terri, Sheila, and Princess Ariel run over to see if Diana's okay. The damage done by the chunk of marble was actually pretty minor. They help her to her feet, and Diana quickly hugs her two dear friends.

"Terri! Sheila!" says Diana, "I'm so glad you're here."

"Hello Diana," Princess Ariel, "Nice to see you again."

"Ariel? What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to warn you about Argoth and his goons," says Sheila, "I guess we were too late."

"Who's Argoth?"

"The wizard with all the eyes," Ariel explain, "He wants your guys' magic weapons so that he'll have the power to destroy Thundarr, Ookla and me once and for all." Then Ariel gasps as though she has just realized something. "Thundarr!" she cries.

Princess Ariel runs over to her fallen friend. When she reaches him, she gives him a quick examination. The sorceress breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that his injuries are relatively minor. He's going to have a nasty bump on his head for a while, but he'll be okay. Thundarr begins to come to, and Ariel helps him to his feet.

"Where's Zogarr?" groans Thundarr, "Zogarr!" shouts the barbarian, "We have finished yet!"

"I'm afraid he's gone, my friend," replies Ariel.

"Coward!" growls Thundarr, "I was just getting ready to finish him off!"

"Yes, I'm sure once he saw you lying there unconscious he became so frightened he had to run away."

Sheila and Terri run over to their husbands and help them back up onto their feet. Hank and Bobby are a little wobbly still, but they'll be alright with a little rest. Bobby picks up his helmet and sees the huge dent that prevented his skull from being crushed. He rubs his aching head.

"Did we win?" he asks.

"Doesn't exactly look like it," replies Hank.

"I'm sorry Sweetie," says Sheila, "Argoth got away with Diana's Javelin."

"That means all he has to do is get Eric's Griffon Shield and Presto's magic Hat of Spells, and then he'll be unstoppable."

"Then we must reach your friends before they do," announces Thundarr, as Ariel helps him limp over to the others.

"Where's Ookla?" asks Princess Ariel.

They look around, and find the mok lying face down on the floor. The few remaining temple monks and city guards are approaching him cautiously. Diana runs over to her fallen friend and checks on him. Ookla is still breathing, though his breaths seem to be labored. Diana tries to roll the mok onto his back, but he is just too big. She looks up at the gathered crowd.

"Well don't just stand there!" she says, "Help me roll him over! He just helped to save your lives, he's no threat!"

The guards and monks all move to help the former acrobat. They roll Ookla onto his back, and Diana begins examining his body for wounds which could be causing his condition. She finds what appears to be a vampire bite on his arm.

"He appears to have been bitten," she says.

"He was fighting one of those snake women," Terri tells her.

"Do you suppose their bite is poisonous?" asks Diana.

"I believe that particular breed of mutant is descended from rattle snakes," says Ariel, "So maintaining their more primitive ancestors' venom is very likely."

"I'm surprised he isn't dead," says Diana.

"If he were anything but a mok, he most likely would be," replies Ariel.

Diana looks about the room, and then points at one of her fellow monks. "You there! Brother Noah! Go to my room! In my footlocker you'll find all of my old traveling gear from before I became a monk. In there you will find a little glass vial of purple liquid. I want you to bring it to me! Now! Hurry!"

The young monk nods his head and runs to do as he is told. A few minutes later he returns with the glass vial Diana had described. Diana takes it and removes the cork. Then she gently pours the purple liquid into Ookla's mouth. After a moment, his breathing seems to come more easily, and Diana breathes as sigh of relief.

"I wasn't sure if that would work," she tells the other, "That was a Potion of Neutralizing Poisons. But I wasn't sure if the magic would work on a mok. Or on the venom from another world. But it looks like it does."

"Will he be okay?" asks Thundarr.

"Oh sure," replies Diana, "He just needs to sleep for a bit. The potion has that effect on people. It'll neutralize virtually any poison, but it'll also knock you out like a punch from Mohamed Ali."

"Who?" Thundarr asks.

"Never mind," Diana replies.

"So what do we do now?" asks Terri, "Argoth is one step closer to having the power to control the entire Realm!"

"We mount up and we stop him!" exclaims Thundarr.

"That will have to wait," says Diana, "None of us are in any shape to travel. And I don't even know where we should go next."

"Either Helix or Khadish," says Hank. "Those are our choices."

"Helix is closer," says Bobby, "Maybe we should meet up with Presto and Varla there first. It'll take us weeks to travel all the way to Khadish on horseback. Getting there by magic castle might make the trip a bit quicker, or at least easier and more comfortable."

"Argoth's magic allows him to travel great distances in very little time," says Princess Ariel, "Whether we travel by horse or by magic castle, I don't think we have the time to spare."

"There has to be a quicker way to contact Eric," says Sheila, "He can't take on all those villains all by himself. Even if he is a Celestial Knight."

"That's it!" cries Bobby, "Eric's a Celestial Knight! Why don't we try and meet up with him at the Lost Tower of The Celestial Knights? That's their headquarters, right?"

"Of course!" exclaims Hank, "Why didn't I think of that? The magic of the tower protects it from being invaded by evil forces! Only the pure at heart can ever enter there!"

"And Eric will need to check in with Dekion every now and then!" adds Sheila, "Even if he isn't there when we arrive, they may have some magical means of contacting each other. A crystal ball or something!"

"Good thinking Bobby!" says Terri, and she wraps her husband in a warm hug.

"Great," says Diana, "Now that we know where we're going, what do you guys say to visiting the city's healers and get patched up? Ookla's not gonna be going anywhere for a long while yet."

"I hate any delays," says Thundarr, "But it appears we have little choice."

"I'll get Ookla," says Princess Ariel, and with a wave of her hand she causes Ookla's body to levitate in the air, "Lead the way Diana."

Diana takes her friends out of the temple and leads them to the city's hospice. There, they receive the best medical treatment available, both magical and mundane. They take their rest there for the night. In the morning, Diana returns to The Temple of Light. When her friends arrive there later on, they find her once again wearing her fur bikini from her adventuring days, as well as the gold jewelry she wore back then. She has a pack with her and is carrying a simple wooden staff.

"I can't believe this thing still fits," says Diana as she adjusts her outfit.

"Looks good on you," says Bobby, for which Terri gives him a slap on the shoulder. "What?" he asks. "It's been, like, over ten years and she still looks great! Not as great as _you _do, but still pretty great."

Thundarr rolls his eyes. "Females," he mumbles. Ookla howls something to Diana in his bestial tongue, which Thundarr translates. "Ookla thanks you for curing him of his snake bite. He also wants you to know that he is very happy that you are uninjured and that you will be joining us in our quest."

"Thank you Ookla," Diana replies, "I'm glad you are doing well. To be honest, I never thought I would be going on another one of these quests ever again. But we can't let those villains keep our magic weapons. There's no telling what they will do."

"Likely take over the entire Realm," says Bobby.

"Then go back to Earth and conquer there too," adds Princess Ariel.

"Enough talk!" says Thundarr impatiently, "Time is short! Get yourself a horse so that we can be on our way!"

Diana puts her fingers in her mouth and lets out a shrill whistle. From up above they hear a loud screeching noise, like the call of a great eagle. Then, swooping down on great feathery wings is a magnificent creature that has the hind quarters of a horse, while its front legs, as well as its head and wings, and are that of a giant eagle. It lands next to Diana and nuzzles her affectionately.

"Lords of Light!" exclaims Thundarr.

"By the Gods," gasps Ariel, "A hippogriff!"

"This is Night Sky," says Diana, "I found him when he was only a colt. Or would that be a chick? Anyway, he was only just learning how to fly when he crashed and broke his wing. I took him home and mended it. Then as he was healing, we ended up bonding. He's been my constant companion ever since."

"A lovely story," says Thundarr impatiently, "Now let's _go_!"

Everyone mounts up onto their steeds. Thundarr, Ariel, Hank, and Sheila onto their horses. Bobby and Terri onto their unicorns. Ookla onto his equart. And now Diana onto her hippogriff, Night Sky. Thundarr rears his white stallion onto its hind legs.

"Everyone! To the Lost Tower! RIIIIIDE!" And the whole group, now up to eight, rides off after the barbarian.

Miles away, in a far off kingdom, an aged king sits upon his bejeweled throne. His eyes grow wide with mad delight as two of his soldiers drag a young woman into his throne room. She is little more than a girl, not yet having seen her twentieth year of life. She pulls against the guards, desperately trying to get away from them. Her efforts are fruitless, and the soldiers force the girl to kneel before the throne.

"Here is the virgin you had requested, Sire," says one of the soldiers.

The king leers down at the girl and grins wickedly. "Have her bathed and sent to my bed chamber," he says.

"Yes Sire," says the soldier with a bow.

The girl screams in protest as the soldiers take her away. The soldiers ignore her, as the king's word is law and they cannot disobey. The girl doesn't understand why the king is doing this. He had always been such a kind and generous king. His subjects were always happy, no one was allowed to starve in his kingdom. Until recently, the kingdom was a wonderful place to live. But now. Now the people are taxed so heavily they can barely afford to feed themselves. Thieves and ruffians, before almost completely unknown in the kingdom, now run rampant and unchecked. The king had every member of his bloodline arrested for treason and executed. And now he selects young women from among the peasants, virgins, for his own perverse desires. Those who are selected, are never seen again. The mad king strokes the gem encrusted gold rings which adorn his fingers absently as he anticipates the evening's festivities. As he does so, he becomes aware of a strange yellow mist floating into the room from the open window. The mist settles in front of the throne, then takes form and solidifies into the form of Argoth. The king gives a feral snarl at the sight of the wizard.

"Guards!" cries the king, "Seize him!"

As the guards on either side of the king's throne step forward to do as they had been commanded, Argoth holds out his hands towards them. The eyes in the palms of his hands fire beams of magical heat. As they strike the guards in the chest, the men burst into flame. Before they even have a chance to scream, their armor collapses in molten ruin, filled with naught but human ash. The king looks upon this strange intruder with an expression of both terror and rage.

"Who are you?" demands the king, "What do you want?"

"I am called Argoth, mightiest of all wizards," replies the wizard with a regal bow, "And what I want, is you, Your Majesty. Or should I say . . ."

Twin beams of energy, like those that shot forth from his palms, now leap from the two normally placed eyes on his face. They strike the king and consume him in flame. The golden crown clatters upon the stone dais where upon sits the royal throne. The gold jewelry which adorns the king's neck, wrists, and fingers, form a melted puddle at his feet. When the magical flames cease, all that is left where the king once stood is a pile of ash. And hovering above the ashes is a creature of pure shadow. It looks like the shadow of a man, but for the fact it has no legs. Bat-like wings spread out from its back, though it doesn't seem to need to flap them to stay aloft. It appears translucent, as though it were a mere shadow, a trick of the light. The only thing giving away it's true malevolent nature is it's horns, twin protrusions made of silvery light, and its eyes, glowing an eerie milky white glow.

" . . . Shadow Demon!" finishes the wizard.

"Fool!" cries Shadow Demon, "The goodness in that man's soul would have sustained me for _months_! Perhaps _years_!"

"I have need of you," says Argoth.

"I have no need of you!" replies the demon, "I served a wizard before, bound to do his bidding by the darkest of magics! Now I am free, and I shall not be enslaved again!"

"So I've heard. Conjured to do the bidding of the one called Venger, then used as a mere spy and messenger. I am not Venger. I wish to use your talents to their _greatest _potential. But I do not wish to enslave you. Only for you to serve me willingly."

"What are you offering?"

"Wealth. Power. As many delectable souls of pure goodness as you can eat."

"I have those already. At least I did, before you destroyed my latest host."

"This dictatorship would not have lasted. You peasants would have eventually rebelled. That, or someone would have discovered your secret and come to exorcise you from your host's body."

"That always happens eventually. That is part of the fun. I take my leave, leaving behind a host who doesn't understand why everyone hates him so. Either that, or I leave an empty husk, devoid of anything resembling life, save for breath and a pulse. And you have yet to give me a reason to work for you."

"While I have no wish to cast the spells to bind you into my service, Shadow Demon, I can do so if you force it upon me. Or, I can always send you back to whatever Hell Venger summoned you from."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I would," replies Argoth, "Think about it. Staying here, in The Realm, where your powers are respected by some, and feared by others. Or go back to your home dimension, where you are simply one nameless, faceless shadow demon among the thousands. No one fearing you. Respecting you. Admiring you."

Shadow Demon is silent for the moment. His features cloaked in shadow, his expression is nearly impossible for Argoth to read. But the wizard is sure he has made his point. He can practically hear the thoughts swirling in Shadow Demon's mind as he tries to make up his mind. Finally, Shadow Demon looks right at Argoth with those eerie, milky white eyes.

"What is it you wish me to do for you?" he asks.

"Come with me," replies Argoth, "I shall explain all along the way."

**Author's Note:**

For those of you wondering why it is Shadow Demon seems to be so much more powerful in my story than he was in the cartoon, the producers of the show had nerfed the abilities of Shadow Demon quite a bit. Likely due to network censorship and such. If you look up Shadow Demon in any Sword & Sorcery RPG (D&D, Pathfinder, World of Warcraft, Warhammer, etc), one of their strongest powers is the ability to possess mortals.

While they technically can possess anyone, and usually could care less if their host is good or evil. But given the evil nature of demons it seems likely that they would prefer to possess someone with a good soul, then force them to do evil deeds against their will. The whole "eating their souls" bit was simply my own personal touch (I hope it was sufficiently creepy, that's kinda what I was shooting for).


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

The eight heroic companions ride out towards The Tower of The Celestial Knights. Hank and Sheila would often ride ahead on Silver and Beauty, for they're more far more familiar with the area than many of the others. Other times Bobby and Terri would scout ahead on Uni and Silverbeard, for they were still actively adventuring, and thus familiar with any changes in the terrain that may have occurred since the others had last seen Eric or Dekion. Diana mostly kept Night Sky grounded, so as not to outdistance the others. But she would also take to the sky, to get a bird's eve view of the area and hopefully avoid any trouble which could cause them any delays.

Thundarr and the others push their mounts as hard as they dare. There were times when water and fresh grass are scarce. Or when the trails they ride along are narrow and treacherous. There are many miles to travel, and very few days to get to the tower. They pray that they are not too late.

Finally, they come upon the remains of the old rope bridge where they had first met the knight Dekion, at the time cursed to live out eternity as a skeletal undead warrior. Apparently, in the last seventeen years no one had ever bothered to rebuild the old rope bridge which crossed the ravine. It was half rotted and falling apart seventeen years ago when The Young Ones first tried to cross it. Then it broke under their weight, nearly spilling them into the rushing river far below. Princess Ariel just shrugs her delicate shoulders, and then waves her hand across the scene before her. A bridge of magical energy stretches from their side of the ravine to the other. The eight companions ride across the bridge with ease, as Ariel's conjuration is as sturdy as a bridge of solid stone. Once everyone is on the other side, Princess Ariel cancels her magical bridge with a wave of her hand. Thundarr sees something lying in the dirt just ahead, and dismounts his horse to investigate. He picks up the item and examines it quizzically.

""What is this . . . thing?" he asks.

"That's a telephone receiver," replies Ariel, "Or at least what's left of one. I wonder what it's doing all the way out here? In The Realm of all places."

"Presto conjured it," explains Hank, "This is where we first met Dekion. At first we thought he was trying to attack us, so there was a fight. Presto tried to teleport him away, but he was still very new to the whole magic thing."

"So he accidentally conjured up a telephone," concludes Ariel with a chuckle, "Yeah, that sounds like our Presto alright."

"He got much better with his spells after he met you," says Sheila, "He even rescued us from a giant and his pet slime beast."

"Didn't Bobby say it was Presto's spell which got you guys caught by the giant in the first place?" Terri asks her.

"Well yeah," admits Sheila, "But he did it to save us from the orcs who had us trapped."

"His magic still needed some work, but it _was_ improving," adds Hank.

"Come on everyone! Let's get going!" says Bobby, "We're almost to the tower!"

He spurs Uni on into a trot, and Terri quickly catches up to him. Everyone else mounts back up and follows the young couple. They come to the top of a steep hill which grants them an excellent view of The Tower of The Celestial Knights. The shy grows dark as the sun is setting in the west. And in the clouds which cling to the tower like leaves to a tree, there are flashes of light.

"Looks like it's gonna storm," mentions Hank.

Thundarr studies the flashes in the sky, and listens for the thunder. When no such sounds reach his ears, he grabs up his Sunsword and ignites its fiery blade. "That isn't lightning," he says, "It's a battle!" He rears his stallion up onto its hind legs then spurs it into a gallop as he rides down the hill towards the tower at top speed.

"Oh no!" says Diana, "Eric!" She too spurs her mount into action. But rather than galloping along the ground, Night Sky spreads his wings and takes to the air.

"Come on everyone!" shouts Hank, "We have to help them!"

Everyone spurs their steeds into a gallop and charge down the hill as fast as their animals can go. Thundarr has a huge lead on them, but Diana soars by overhead. Night Sky's wings beat furiously as she charges to Eric's rescue. Something large comes plummeting out of the sky, like a giant bird. Thundarr lets his instincts guide him and he steers his horse towards where the thing had landed. Night Sky lets out a mighty screech as it rushes headlong into battle with Diana upon its back. As Thundarr and the others get closer to the downed bird, they can see several figures crowding around the bird. It's Zogarr, Zoa, Cordon, Talona, and Viper. Zogarr raises the Thunder Club, as though he's about to finish off the fallen creature.

"Yaaaaa-heee!" cries Thundarr as his horse swiftly carries him closer and closer.

The five villains turn and see Thundarr racing towards them, his companions following close behind. General Zoa open fires upon the barbarian with the Energy Bow. Thundarr blocks the arrows with his Sunsword and keeps on coming. Zogarr forgets all about the fallen bird and moves to stand next to Zoa, holding the Thunder Club in a ready position. Night Sky comes swooping down out of the air, screeching in anger. The villains dive out of the way, narrowly missing being snatched up in the hippogriff's talons. Cordon scrambles over to the bird and takes something from it and puts it on her arm. It's a golden shield. Eric's Griffon Shield.

Diana and Night Sky come diving out of the air at them once more. This time Cordon raises Eric's shield and summons a forcefield around herself as well as the general and the barbarian. Night Sky collides with the forcefield and bounces off, taking once more to the air. This time General Zoa fires back, narrowly missing Diana with one of his energy arrows. The close call startles the hippogriff, and it throws Diana from its back. The acrobat falls and hits hard, nearly knocking the wind out of her. The moment she hits the ground, a yellow mist appears around the five villains. And when it clears, they're gone.

Thundarr reins his horse to a stop right next to Diana. He hops off and checks on her. "I'm fine," she says as she tries to catch her breath, "Go check on Eric."

A little confused, Thundarr gets up and goes to check on the giant bird that had fallen from the sky. It is reminiscent of the American Bald Eagle, only it is much, much bigger. The barbarian also notices that this bird is wearing a harness and a saddle, much like what one might find on a horse. Trapped beneath the bird's body is a knight of roughly thirty years of age or so. His hair is black and neatly trimmed, and he sports a goatee upon his face. His chainmail armor is covered by a yellow tabard, and he wears a red cloak about his shoulders. He has a warrior's build, but even with all the time which has passed here in The Realm, Thundarr can still recognize Eric the Cavalier.

The Cavalier lays there unmoving. Concerned, Thundarr checks the man's breathing and heartbeat, then sighs in relief as he discovers that Eric is still alive. Hank and Bobby rush over to give Thundarr a hand. The two barbarians move the giant bird while Hank drags Eric out from under his steed. Princess Ariel comes over to check on Eric's condition. She had read many books on medicine and first aid techniques in her stepfather's library while growing up. She could also mend injuries with her magic, although the worse the injury the longer it takes the magic to work.

"It looks like he cracked a few bones in his legs," says the sorceress after an examination, "I don't think there were any major breaks though. And I think he may also have a concussion. If he wakes up, we shouldn't let him fall asleep again. We may never be able to wake him up again, and I have a feeling that we may need him in the upcoming fight."

"My Lord!" cries a voice. Everyone turns and sees a young man in his early or mid twenties running towards them, a look of panic on his face. "Unhand him you ruffians!" shouts the young man as he draws a sword, "Touch my lord again, and I'll split you from neck to nuts!"

"Take it easy!" says Hank, his hands in the air in a non-threatening manner, "We're friends! We're here to help!"

The young man looks at Hank with a quizzical expression on his face, and then lowers his sword just a bit. "Hank?" he says, "Is that you?"

"Um, yeah," the Ranger replies, "I'm Hank."

The young man looks over at Sheila as she helps Diana to her feet, "Sheila? Diana?"

"Yes?" they say.

"Oh thank the gods!" he says, "I'm so sorry! I didn't recognize you guys! I though you were the ones who shot Lord Eric down!"

"I'm sorry," says Hank, "But, do we know you?"

"Well of course you know me!" says the young man, "It's me! Timothy!" They look at him with blank stares. "My father helped you defeat The Beholder!"

"You're Sir John's son?" says Bobby.

"Yes!" exclaims Timothy, "I've been in training to become a Celestial Knight. I'm Lord Eric's squire!"

"My goodness!" says Diana, "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you."

"Me too," agrees Sheila.

"Ah, that's okay," says Timothy, "That was a long time ago, and we hadn't met again since."

"Well, Eric's been hurt," says Hank, "We need to get him someplace safe to get him some medical attention."

"That's _Lord_ Eric," says Timothy, "He is heir to the throne of Khadish and should be treated with the proper respect."

"Well, we were his friends long before he ever became a Khadish lord," says Hank, "And for the record, King Ramuud himself insists that everyone in our group call him Ramuud rather than _Your Majesty_ or _Your Highness_."

"Oh," says Timothy, "I didn't realize. Well, um, we'll be safe inside the tower. No evil may enter that sacred space."

Diana limps over to the fallen bird and checks on its condition. "Princess Ariel!" cries the acrobat, "Eric's war bird is still alive! I think it's badly hurt though!'

Princess Ariel and Sheila rush over to the war bird as Hank and Bobby pick up Eric and carry him into the tower. They check the bird over, and find that it has both a broken wing, a broken leg, and there is a large patch of feathers burned away on it's belly. That is obviously where either General Zoa, or perhaps even Argoth, had shot the bird down.

"I think we might be able to save him," says Ariel, "But we'll have to move fast. Ookla! Help us carry this war bird into the tower! Thundarr, we need you to lead the horses inside!"

Thundarr nods affirmatively and grabs the reins of the horses, guiding them into the Tower Of The Celestial Knights. Uni and Silverbeard, being unicorns and therefore sentient, enter the tower of their own accord. Ookla lifts Eric's war bird up in his powerful arms. Sheila cradles the creature's head in her hands, keeping it comfortable. Diana holds its injured wing up so that it will not drag on the ground and hurt it further. Princess Ariel and Terri help Ookla keep the bird's body balanced so that the mok won't have to dig his claws into its flesh in order to keep from dropping the creature. Then the five of them move as quickly as they dare to get the war bird into the tower. As they're entering, Diana sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles. In a moment, Night Sky swoops down out of the air and lands right behind them, following his mistress inside. As soon as they're safely inside, they shut the doors and bar them.

"Can you fix it?" Sheila asks Ariel.

"I hope so," replies the sorceress, "He's hurt pretty bad."

"I can splint its leg and wing," says Diana, "It shouldn't be much different from mending the wing of a hippogriff."

Timothy comes over to the group. He had just left Eric in his chambers with Bobby and Hank. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asks.

"We're going to need some long straight pieces of wood," says Diana, "Sturdy ones, like maybe broom sticks or mop handles."

"There are plenty of spears in the armory," says Timothy.

"Perfect!" replies the acrobat, "Sheila, you go with him. Then we'll need large pieces of cloth for bandages. Blankets or linens would be perfect."

"The linen closet is on the way," says Timothy, "We can pick some up on our way back."

"Great!" says Diana, "Hurry!"

Timothy leads Sheila towards the linen closet and armory. As they run through the halls, Sheila looks around at the statues and tapestries which are decorating the place. "You know," she says, "this place isn't nearly as spooky as I remember."

"You and your friends have already endured its trials," explains Timothy, "Once bested, it can no longer make you face your worst fears. Besides, Lord Eric is here with us. As long as you are a guest of The Celestial Knights, you don't have to fear the tower's magic."

The thief and the squire retrieve the spears and linens and hurry back to rejoin the others. Ookla breaks the heads off of the spears while Timothy tears the sheets into long, wide strips. Diana and Princess Ariel set the bird's broken bones, and then use the spear shafts and torn linens to immobilize the injured wing and leg. Ariel then casts the same spell on the bird that she had used on Thundarr after their fight with the monster that haunted the woods around Crystal Lake.

"There," says Ariel, "That's all I can do for him. Now all we can do is wait and let my magic do its work."

"It's times like these I wish we had kept that magical net we had found in The Dragon's Graveyard," says Diana.

"Dragon's Graveyard?" says Thundarr.

"Where dragons go to die," explains Diana, "There were a lot of magical weapons there. All that remains of past heroes or would be dragon slayers, I suppose. One of those items was a Net of Healing. It saved Uni's life. She was badly hurt in a fight we had with Venger earlier that day."

Uni knickers and nods her equine head at this. She then comes over to the injured war bird and nuzzles it with her nose, licking its face affectionately. The unicorn then snorts, then looks down the hall which Timothy had come from after having lead Hank and Bobby to the barracks. Diana nods her head in understanding.

"Uni's right," she says, "We've done all we can for Eric's bird. Now we need to help Eric. Timothy, take us to your lord."

Timothy guides them down the hall to the barracks. Eric has been placed in the officer's quarters, which are larger and more comfortable than the squire's barracks. They enter Eric's room and find Bobby and Hank had stripped Eric of his armor and put him to bed.

"How is he?" asks Diana, concern in her voice.

"He hasn't regained consciousness yet," says Hank.

"That might be a blessing in disguise," says Bobby, "He's so beat up, if he were awake he'd be in horrible pain."

"Come on guys," says Diana, "We need to splint his injured arm and legs before Ariel can use her magic to heal him."

The girls go about binding splints to Eric's injured arm and legs. They also find his shoulder had been dislocated. Thundarr has seen such injuries before, and popped the Cavalier's shoulder back into place. Once they have done all they could with splints and bandages, Princess Ariel then casts her healing spell on Eric. She also casts a sleeping spell upon him to keep him comatose. With nothing left to do but wait, they leave the Cavalier alone in his room.

"Why did you not splint my wrist after our fight with the mutant at the lake?" Thundarr asks the sorceress.

"You had only the one injury," explains Ariel, "I was able to focus all of my magic's healing powers on that one area. Eric and his mount both have multiple injuries. That's far more complicated to heal, and requires the help of a little old fashioned first aid."

"First . . . Aid?"

"Emergency medical treatment," explains the sorceress, "You know, bandaging cuts, setting dislocated limbs, splinting broken bones. Things like that."

"I see," says the barbarian.

"I thank you for helping my lord," says Timothy, "I wish I could repay you somehow."

"Stabling for our mounts and a place to spend the night would be a good start," says Thundarr.

Ookla howls his own reply in his bestial tongue, which Thundarr translates, "Right Ookla," he says to the mok. Then to Timothy he adds, "And a meal."

"Of course! Of course!" says the squire, "All the hospitality we have to offer is yours for the asking! I shall stable your mounts, and then I'll get started on dinner right away! In the mean time, you may take your rest in the squires' barracks."

The young squire hurries off to do as he was bid, and the others all find themselves bunks in the barracks where they can get some rest. They talk very little, as they're all thinking pretty much the same thing. Argoth now has five out of the six Weapons of Power. All that is left is Presto's Hat of Many Spells. And if a wizard as powerful and ruthless as Argoth were to gain possession of such an item, both The Realm and Earth were in serious danger. Timothy returns and fetches them for dinner. It is a hearty meal of beef stew, dumplings, bread, and wine. The friends eat their meal and retire to their beds.

The next morning, the eight friends awaken and go to check on Eric. The Cavalier is awake and very happy to see all of his old friends again. He's somewhat surprised to see Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla here in The Realm, but no less happy. Eric accompanies his friends to the dining hall, where Timothy has laid out a feast for His Lordship and his friends. During breakfast Hank and Ariel explain exactly what's going on and what has been happening over the past several days. Eric slams his fist onto the table in anger.

"That rat!" he shouts, "We gotta stop him!"

"We've been trying," says Hank, "But we can't stand up against our own weapons."

"Weapons that Argoth and his cronies aren't afraid to use to their most lethal potential," adds Ariel.

"He has everything but Presto's hat," says Bobby.

"They're going to have a hell of a time getting it away from him," says Eric, "Last I heard he was living in Merlin's floating castle. Between all the spell books in that library, Presto's hat, and Varla's illusions, they're quite the force to be reckoned with."

"True," admits Hank, "But he and Varla will be facing a powerful wizard who isn't afraid to kill, backed up by warriors armed with our own weapons who are similarly unscrupulous."

"We all made the mistake of underestimating him as well," says Bobby, "That's how he got our weapons in the first place!"

"Where is Presto now?" asks Eric.

"On his way to Helix for their annual Dragon Festival," Diana replies.

"Then what are we waiting for?" says Eric as he stands in a dramatic gesture, "Let's go get our weapons back and save our friends!"

"Is this the same Cavalier that used to scream like a little girl and hide behind his shield every time we had to face a monster?" Sheila giggles.

"Hey!" says Eric indignantly, "I did plenty of heroic things when we were together! Or have you forgotten that it was _I_ who lead us to victory over The Darkling?"

"Well . . ."

"Or how about the time I _volunteered_ to stay behind and hold Venger off so that you guys could go home that time when Dungeon Master had given me his powers and responsibilities?"

"Okay, but . . ."

"Or when we rescued Varla from Venger's dungeon, and I was the one who got our weapons back so we could defend ourselves?"

"Okay! Okay!" cries Sheila, "I admit it! You did some really heroic things when we were all traveling together!"

"Thank you," says Eric as he lifts his chin with pride.

"Whenever you weren't too busy screaming like a girl and hiding behind your shield," she adds with a laugh.

"Oh hardy-har-har," says Eric, "Look, things have changed. I'm a Celestial Knight now. My shield isn't my only weapon anymore. I also have this," and he draws his sword, "Standard issue to all Celestial Knights. Not only is it razor sharp, it's also heavily enchanted and shoots bolts of magical energy. So it's good for both long range combat, as well as getting in close for melee." Eric does a few simple practice swings, and then holds the sword in a ready stance. "Go ahead, punk!" he says, in his best Clint Eastwood impression, "Make my day."

"Well at least Thundarr won't be the only one with a magic weapon when we face off against Argoth and his band of hoodlums," says Hank.

"Is Reagan ready to fly?" asks Eric.

"Who?" asks Princess Ariel.

"Reagan," replies the Cavalier, "My war bird."

"You named your war bird Reagan?" asks Hank.

"Can you think of a better name for a giant bald eagle?" asks Eric.

"I guess not," replies the Ranger.

"I don't understand," says Thundarr, genuinely confused.

"When we left Earth, the President of The United States was a man named Ronald Reagan," explains Hank.

"And the American bald eagle is a universally recognized symbol of The United States," adds Diana.

"So when I was made a Celestial Knight and was issued my own war bird, which looks exactly like a giant American bald eagle, I decided to name it after The President."

"I see," says the barbarian.

"Well, in answer to The Cavalier's question," says Princess Ariel, "Yes, Reagan should be healthy enough to fly."

"Good!" exclaims Eric, "Then we leave for Helix immediately!"

"Shall I join you, My Lord?" asks Timothy.

"No, you stay here and await Dekion's return," replies The Cavalier, "This is a private matter."

"As you wish, sir."

Timothy clears the dishes, then sets out to prepare the mounts of Lord Eric and his guests. He saddles all of the animals, fills their saddle bags with provisions, and straps tents and bedrolls to the backs of the saddles. He leads them all outside where he meets up with his mentor and his eight fellow heroes. Eric has allowed his friends to raid the armory for new weapons, at least to help them protect themselves in the upcoming conflict. The weapons are mundane, not enchanted, but they're better than nothing. Hank has taken a bow and a quiver of arrows. Sheila takes a steel dagger. Bobby takes a battle ax, and Terri has a long sword. Diana doesn't take anything, for she still has the wooden quarterstaff from the temple. Once everyone has mounted their steeds, Thundarr rears his stallion up onto its hind legs. "Everyone!" he shouts, "To Helix! RIIIIDE!"

Everyone on an earthbound mount takes off after the barbarian. Eric spurs Reagan into action, and the great war bird takes off into the air. Diana also spurs Night Sky into flight, and follows The Cavalier up into the morning sky. The two of them fly ahead, then bank to the side and head back to keep the others in sight, so as not to outdistance them by too much. And despite the weight of the task before them, both of them had to admit, they really enjoyed flying together.

In a kingdom, many miles away, King Varen sits in his mighty throne as he goes through the minutia of running a kingdom. Taxes and treaties, trade agreements and bartering with foreign ambassadors. The King strokes his mustache thoughtfully as he thinks about the good old days. He remembers the time he had kidnapped Tasmira, Queen of The Faerie Dragons, and held her for ransom. He would have made a fortune in gold and jewels, if not for the interference of six meddlesome kids. He picks up a golden chalice to drink down some wine and catches his reflection in the cup. His mustache, once a deep brown, was now a dull gray. Sixteen years it has been since those brats had ruined his plans. Just then, the doors to the throne room burst open, sending King Varen's guards flying. In walks Argoth, accompanied by General Zoa, Captain Cordon, Zogarr The Barbarian, Viper and Talona. Soldiers on either side of the throne step forward to protect their king. King Varen sits on his throne and glares at this strange wizard.

"Who dares enter my throne room without permission?" he demands.

"I do," replies Argoth with a regal bow, "I am Argoth, wizard extraordinaire."

"Well? What do you want?" asks the king.

"I wish an audience with Your Highness."

"You could have asked first," says the king.

"Argoth doesn't ask permission, from anyone, or for anything," replies the wizard, "I take what I want, when I want, and from who I want!"

"Not without a fight you're not!"

"My dear king," says Argoth calmly, "If I had come here to fight, you would know it by your being dead already. I have a proposal I would like to offer you."

"Yeah?" says the king, "What kind of proposal?"

"The kind that will make you rich and powerful beyond your wildest dreams."

"I already _am_ rich and powerful," replies King Varen, "I am _King_!"

"Ah, but you seek more!" says Argoth, "Much more! And I can give it to you!"

"Yeah? How?"

"Do you see the weapons my companions carry?" asks Argoth. Varen nods his head affirmatively. "Do you recognize them?"

"Those . . . Those are the weapons used by those brats who bested me all those years ago!"

"The very same," confirms Argoth, "And their former owners are now unarmed and powerless."

"So?"

"So they are ripe for bloody vengeance!"

"So I get to take my revenge," says King Varen suspiciously, "What's in it for you?"

"I wish for your great army of men to join my army of orcs, ogres, and goblins. I plan to march them across The Realm and conquer everything in sight! With your men by their side, we will be invincible! These . . . humanoids. They are great in number, but their minds are weak. They don't have the capacity to plan and execute complex strategies. You and your men do. I want them in my army."

"I respect the fact that you've taken the children's weapons, and that they're now much more vulnerable. And while I have done many things in my quest for wealth, power, and glory, I have never marched into battle on the side of orcs and goblins. That is something which I can not ask my men to do."

"You do not know what I will give you if you join us," says Argoth.

"You have nothing that I want," replies the king.

Argoth turns to Captain Cordon and nods. The pirate walks seductively up to the king and sits upon his lap. She gently begins to caress his face. King Varen smiles at Argoth. "She is a lovely wench, to be sure," he says to the wizard, "But I can have a dozen wenches any time I please. Younger and prettier maids by far. What makes you think this lone harlot is gonna change my mind?"

Captain Cordon grabs King Varen by the face. Had any of the guards been paying close enough attention, they would have noticed a black shadow escaping Captain Cordon's mouth and entering King Varen's. When Cordon breaks off the kiss, she gets a confused expression on her face, like she can't quite figure out where she is nor what is happening. Meanwhile, King Varen is grinning wildly. He looks all around him, at his hand, flexing his fingers, all as though he had never been on the throne before. He turns to his guards, his eyes as black as pitch.

"I've changed my mind!" declares the king, "We shall join you." His guards look at each other in confusion, not sure of what to make of this turn of events. The king turns to them.

"Well?" says the king, "What are you waiting for fools? Go and summon my army! Start rounding up the peasants as well! Arm them with whatever weapons you can get for them. I want every able bodied man and strong lad between the ages of fourteen and forty to be drafted as conscripts! Be ready to march by tomorrow afternoon!"

"Um . . . Yes sire," say the guards.

"Now!" shouts the king, and the guards run to do their liege's bidding.

King Varen laughs heartily as the guards flee the throne room. "You know," he says, "I think I'm going to enjoy being a king again."

"Well done, Shadow Demon," says Argoth, "Remember to march the army into the Fourth Head Mountains and report directly to War Duke and Kelek."

"It shall be done, Master," says Shadow Demon in King Varen's voice.

Then Argoth and the rest of his mercenaries vanish into yellow mist, which floats away leaving the throne room empty save for the king and the demon which inhabits his body.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla accompany their friends on the road to Helix. Thundarr allows Hank, Bobby, and Terri to take point, for they are far more familiar with the local terrain. Diana and Eric scout ahead on their winged mounts, making sure the roads ahead are free of orcs, trolls, and other nasty things that might find them to be a tasty meal. They camp at night, giving their mounts and themselves a well deserved rest. As they camp, the Dungeon Master's star pupils catch up with each other on what's been happening in their lives.

"Sheila and I don't go out looking for adventure anymore," says Hank, "With the little ones back home, we just can't risk anything happening to us."

"That's understandable," Eric replies, "I'd probably have to cut back on my knightly duties to The Realm when Ayesha and I start having kids of our own."

"How is Ayesha these days?" asks Sheila.

"Oh, great!" replies Eric, "She's the best wife a guy could ever ask for."

"Second best!" ejaculates Bobby, as he puts his arm around Terri's shoulders.

"That's a matter of opinion, Short Stuff."

"Who you calling _Short Stuff_?" asks Bobby, "I'm bigger than you are now Eric!"

"Hey, don't be so sensitive! I was just kidding!" Eric says defensively, then to change the subject he adds, "So Bobby, what's with the 'stache?"

"I saw it on a wrestler on TV a couple of years before we first came here to The Realm," replies the barbarian, "It was this really big guy named Hulk Hogan. He was wrestling Andre The Giant. He even picked him up and body slammed him!"

"You dope!" says Eric, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that wrestling is fixed?"

"No duh, Eric!" replies Bobby, "But real or fake, it still takes a lot of strength to pick up a guy who stands seven foot five and weighs almost five hundred pounds!"

"Whatever," says The Cavalier with a shrug, "So did this Hunk Hokum guy win at least?"

"Nah!" replies the barbarian, "He got disqualified when his manager, Classy Freddy Blassy, handed him a foreign object and he hit Andre with it. Anyway," he continues, "I thought his mustache looked cool, so when I started growing facial hair I decided to grow one just like his."

"So this Hulk person was a villain?" asks Thundarr, "And you wanted to look like him?"

"This particular type of wrestling was just play acting," explains Princess Ariel, "People played the roles of heroes and villains. That didn't mean they really were heroes and villains."

"Besides," adds Bobby, "It was the athlete I wanted to imitate, not the character he was portraying."

"He didn't stay a villain long," adds Terri, "By the time Bobby came back to Earth to rescue me, Hulk Hogan was the biggest hero in wrestling. My brother was a huge fan."

"The ways of the ancient world are very strange," says Thundarr as he shakes his head in amazement.

"I'm sure the ancients would find the people from your time just as strange," says Diana.

"They probably would," admits Thundarr.

"They already have," Ariel corrects him, "Don't you remember the time we rescued those twentieth century scientists from the wizard Mindok? Or the time we used the wizard Crom's Moon Dial to travel back in time to find a spare part for The Alamo People's machine, The Guardian?"

Thundarr chuckles. "That's true," he says, "They did find us rather strange. Remember how that one scientist, the one with the blonde hair, fainted at the sight of Ookla?"

"As I recall, so did Presto," laughs Eric, and the others join him in his mirth.

"Come on guys," says Hank, once more assuming the role of leader, "Time to get some sleep. We still have a ways to go before we reach Helix. And we don't even know how much of a head start Argoth has on us."

"He's a wizard," says Ariel, "He doesn't need much of a head start. Our only hope is if transporting himself and five others could be very taxing on his powers. Even then, we haven't fared very well so far."

"That doesn't mean we're not going to try," says Hank as he and Sheila crawl into their bedroll.

"We shall not only try," says Thundarr as he lies down on his blanket, "We shall succeed!"

"I like you enthusiasm, friend," says Eric as he leans against the side of his war bird and drapes his cloak over himself like a blanket, "But in case you haven't been keeping score, it's Argoth five, heroes zero."

"Hey, it ain't over 'til it's over, Eric," says Bobby as he and Terri crawl into their bedroll.

"Hey, everybody's thinking it," replies The Cavalier, "I'm just saying it out loud. What are we going to do against this Argoth guy, and our own weapons?"

"The best we can, Eric," answers Hank, "The best we can."

Everyone settles in for a good night's rest. Everyone's sleep is undisturbed, except for Terri's. She tosses and turns next to Bobby, moaning out in distress. She screams and bolts upright, her skin glistening in the light of their campfire as her body is covered with a cold sweat.

"Terri!" cries Bobby, "Wake up! What is it? What's wrong?"

"I saw Argoth!" she cries, "He was wearing Presto's hat! We were all there, lying hurt on the floor!"

"Did you see how he wins?" asks Thundarr, "Do you know what he's going to do?"

"No," says Terri, "Only that we can't win. Not tomorrow. Maybe not ever."

"Great," groans Eric, "We come all this way to get our butts kicked . . . _again_."

"We still have to try," says Hank, "If for no other reason than to help Presto and Varla. They're our friends, and friends help one another."

"Besides," adds Diana, "Maybe Terri's dream will give us a clue on how to beat Argoth."

"She said it didn't," complains Eric.

"It could have been a subtle clue," says Ariel, "She might not recognize it for what it is until we face Argoth and his gang."

"Look, you guys go back to bed," Terri tells them, "I'm gonna sit up for a while."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bobby asks her.

"I'll be fine," she replies, "Maybe Ariel is right. Maybe there was a clue in my dream that I didn't recognize right away. I just want to think about it a while."

"If you're sure . . ."

"I'm sure," she ensures her husband, "Go on. Go back to sleep."

Everyone crawls back into their bedrolls. Terri throws a couple more logs onto the fire, then sits and contemplates what she had dreamt. Her friends are doing their best to keep her spirits up. Unfortunately, her dreams are rarely wrong. And she can think of no way that they might keep this one from coming true. She didn't want to say anything earlier, for their morale was already at an all time low, but in her dream, Argoth's victory was virtually flawless. Their best attempts at defeating him were turned against them. And she couldn't see any way of stopping it.

Eventually, Terri crawls back under the covers next to Bobby and drifts off to sleep. The next morning they wake up to the rising of the suns. They breakfast quickly on jerked meats and fresh fruits and nuts. They then quickly strike their camp and ride off on their mounts. They ride hard throughout the course of the day, taking minimal rests for food and water. As the sky turns red from the setting suns, they finally reach the dwarven town of Helix. Presto's magical castle floats on a cloud above the small farming community. Lights flash and flames explode all about the castle.

"Wow!" says Terri, "These dwarves really know how to celebrate! It looks like The Fourth Of July down there!"

"There's only one problem," says Eric, "Their holiday doesn't start until tomorrow!"

"So what's with all the fireworks?" asks Bobby.

"Those aren't fireworks," replies Ariel, "It's a battle!"

"Oh no!" cries Sheila, "We're too late!"

"The hell we are!" says Eric, "Diana! You and I will fly up there and give Presto and Varla any help we can! The rest of you get up there as fast as you can!"

"Good idea Eric!" agrees Hank, "God speed!"

"Same to you, pal!"

Eric and Diana spur their mounts into the air. Thundarr and Bobby lead the charge down the hill towards the town. As soon as they're close enough for Princess Ariel to use her magic, she summons a bridge of magical energy to lead from the ground up to the cloud on which the magic castle rests. The seven of them gallop their steeds up the bridge and onto the cloud. Once there, they see that the drawbridge is up, and it's a long way across the moat. Ariel quickly casts another spell, turning the handle on the crank which lowers the drawbridge and allows them to cross. They ride their mounts into the castle's courtyard.

Here they see a massive battle happening. Standing in front of the great double doors which lead into the keep is a wizard in green robes and pointed conical hat. His reddish hair is worn long, and he sports a pointed beard upon his chin, and a handlebar mustache upon his lip. Resting on the wizard's nose is a pair of thick rimmed glasses. He is battling Argoth in a tremendous wizard's duel. And while The Wizard Of A Thousand Eyes is pressing him hard, the wizard's defenses seem to be holding. While Hank and the others had not seen him in years, everyone recognized the bearded sorcerer to be their friend Presto.

Presto wasn't fighting Argoth alone. There looked to be an entire battalion of knights fighting hard against Argoth's henchmen. Zogarr, Zoa, Cordon, Viper, and Talona are being hard pressed on all sides by armored knights. What's more, no matter what these five warriors do to the knights, they just won't stay down. General Zoa blasts them with the Energy Bow, conjuring magical arrows capable of tearing holes in the mightiest of armors, yet the knights just get right back up without a scratch. Zogarr smashes them with the Thunder Club, hitting them with enough force to topple a mountain, yet they regain their feet without so much as a dent.

Sheila glances up at a balcony overlooking the courtyard and sees why. Standing there, dressed in a beautiful white gown, stands a gorgeous woman with fiery red hair. She watches over the battle in the courtyard, her face a mask of concentration. The rogue recognizes the woman as Varla, Presto's wife and naturally born illusionist. Varla looks up from the battle and sees her husband's friends coming to their aid. She gives them a slight nod and smile, and her illusionary knights make way for their new allies.

Hank and Thundarr look to see where Eric and Diana are. Eric is squaring off with Captain Cordon, who is wielding his Griffon Shield with extreme proficiency. He keeps his distance, for the others had told him of the power of her enchanted rapier. Instead, he fires bolts of magical energy from his own sword, hoping to get past her defenses. Unfortunately, the defenses of The Griffon Shield are virtually impossible to penetrate. Even the illusionary knights can't get through its forcefield.

Meanwhile, Diana is battling Viper with her wooden staff. Viper's skill with the Javelin Staff is every bit as impressive as Diana's. Seeing these two locked in battle is like watching a person battle their own reflection in the mirror. But while their skills are equal, the quality of their weapons are not. Diana holds her staff up to block the downward stroke of Viper's attack with the Javelin Staff. As the two weapons collide, Diana's wooden staff snaps in two. The acrobat barely manages to throw herself into a backwards tumble in time to keep her head from being split open. When she regains her feet, her staff is now two equal lengths. Rather than discarding the broken weapon, Diana charges in, now using the broken pieces of her staff as Filipino sticks.

"Ookla!" says Thundarr, "You help Hank and the others get their weapons back! Ariel and I will help Presto in his fight with Argoth! Into battle!"

Thundarr takes up his Sunsword and ignites the blade, charging straight for the evil wizard with the sorceress close behind him. Bobby and Ookla charge straight for Zogarr, while Terri and Sheila draw their weapons and try and find Talona. Hank draws his bow and attempts to get a bad on General Zoa. As Thundarr and Ariel approach Argoth, their arrival hardly goes unnoticed. A benefit of having eyes all over your head, is it makes it virtually impossible to be snuck up on. As soon as the barbarian and the sorceress are within range of his magic, he starts firing spells from all of his eyes. Thundarr deflects those that come too close to him with the blade of his Sunsword, while Princess Ariel conjures a magical shield to protect herself.

Terri and Sheila have a difficult time finding Talona. They cannot tell exactly where she is, only where she has just been. They see illusionary knights falling of their own accord, or flying through the air without having been thrown. The two women try and deduce where she will attack next, slicing and stabbing at thin air in a vain attempt to catch her. All they get for their troubles is mocking female laughter, followed by a series of unseen punches and kicks to their faces and stomachs, then even more laughter.

Bobby and Ookla charge Zogarr, hoping to catch him unawares as he's busy pounding on an illusionary knight, stubbornly trying to keep it from getting back up. Unfortunately, moks are not known for great stealth, and Ookla howls in rage as he charges the evil barbarian. Zogarr turns to meet the challenge. Bobby brings his axe down in a powerful overhead chop, which Zogarr blocks with his bionic arm. The black haired barbarian knocks the axe from Bobby's hand, then lifts the Thunder Club in order to crush the young man's skull. Ookla catches him by the wrist and stops the death stroke before it begins. Zogarr uses a simple wrestling move, turning into Ookla in order to throw the much larger mok over his shoulder, and plants Ookla in the courtyard floor.

Bobby grabs Zogarr about the waist and lifts him into the air in an impressive show of strength. Zogarr throws his head back, slamming the back of his skull into the bridge of Bobby's nose. Bobby drops the other barbarian and staggers back, clutching his injured face. Zogarr turns around quickly, backhanding Bobby with his mechanical claw. Bobby falls to the floor, his horned helmet flying from his head. Zogarr walks up to the younger barbarian as Bobby tries to force himself back up onto his feet. He raises the club up above his head, ready to bring it down on Bobby's skull. Then Ookla grabs him from behind in a full nelson. Zogarr screams in anger, but is unable to move the club in such a way as to hit the mok with it in any effective manner.

With the sudden appearance of Thundarr and Ariel, Presto is finally able to go on the offensive. He starts throwing his own spells at Argoth, rather than just using his magic to deflect Argoth's spells. Even so, Argoth is very used to fighting both offensively and defensively at the same time. Ever has it been his advantage in wizard's duels. Most sorcerers can only cast defensive magic or offensive magic at one time, alternating between the two as needed in battle. Argoth, and but a handful of others, can do both at the same time. Presto's magic was strong, very strong. But Argoth has spotted the younger wizard's weakness. One of his eyes had spotted Varla up on the balcony. He also noticed that whenever a stray blast of magic or energy arrow got too close to her, Presto's concentration would falter. What's more, whenever that happens, the knights too seem to falter.

"Zoa!" shouts Argoth, "The balcony!"

General Zoa doesn't hesitate. He turns his attention towards the red headed woman on the balcony. He raises the Energy Bow in line with her, but before he can even draw the enchanted bowstring, an arrow pierces his bicep. The general drops his injured arm to his side, clutching at the offending shaft with his other hand. But despite the injury, he doesn't relinquish his hold on the Energy Bow. He looks towards where the arrow came from, and sees Hank standing there, another arrow knocked and drawn. The Ranger lets the arrow fly, this one burying itself deep into the general's shoulder.

General Zoa retaliates, drawing the Energy Bow and firing back at The Ranger. Hank leaps out of the way just in time, tumbling to his feet and drawing another arrow from his quiver. He knocks the shaft onto the bowstring, draws it back and takes aim, but there are too many knights in the way to give him a clear shot. Zoa uses this momentary reprieve to draw on the Energy Bow and launch several arrows at Varla. The illusionist ducks behind the stone railing of the balcony, however the arrows strike all around her. The balcony collapses beneath her feet, and she falls to the courtyard below. As she falls, the knights she had conjured vanish.

"Varla!" cries Presto as he sees his wife fall.

With that momentary distraction, Argoth blasts Presto with rays of magic from the eyes on both of his palms. They hit the young wizard hard, throwing him up against the great double doors of the keep. The Hat Of Many Spells falls from Presto's head as he slumps unconscious to the floor. Argoth then uses a simple spell of telekinesis to retrieve the hat. As he grabs the hat out of the air, Argoth begins laughing maniacally. Princess Ariel fires her spells at the wizard during his moment of distraction, and Thundarr charges forth with his Sunsword. Both attacks pass through yellow mist as Argoth once again turns himself insubstantial.

"Demon dogs!" curses Thundarr as he swings his fiery blade, "Stand and fight me you coward!"

The yellow mist floats over to the injured General Zoa, and he too turns to mist. It then floats over to Zogarr, and the barbarian turns to mist right in Ookla's arms. Captain Cordon disappears next, then Viper, then Talona. The mist floats away and vanishes into thin air.

"Damn!" says Eric, "There they go again!"

"Bobby!" cries Terri as she runs to the side of her fallen husband.

"Presto!" cries Princess Ariel, as she runs to the side of the injured wizard.

"Where's Varla?" asks Sheila.

"The balcony!" cries Thundarr, "Ookla! Hurry!"

The mok and the barbarian run over to the pile of rubble beneath where the balcony once stood and begin lifting the heavy stones and casting them aside. Diana and Sheila run over to Princess Ariel's side to check on their old friend.

"How is he?" asks the acrobat.

"He'll be okay," says Ariel, "It seems he has some magical protection against other wizards' spells."

"Well that's a relief," sighs Sheila.

"How's his wife?" Ariel asks Thundarr.

Thundarr and Ookla have just finished clearing away the stones. Varla was lying beneath them, battered and bruised, and is barely moving. Thundarr checks her pulse. "She's alive," replies the barbarian, "But she looks to be in bad shape."

Princess Ariel leaves Presto in the care of his two friends and goes over to join Thundarr and Ookla. She quickly looks over the illusionist. She has a nasty gash on her forehead, just below her hairline. There are minor scrapes and bruises on all her exposed skin. But Ariel suspects that there might be an even greater danger beneath the skin. She casts a spell on Varla which will allow her to see the damage which lies beneath the surface.

"You're right, my friend," she says, "She is very badly hurt. She has many broken bones, some of which have cut her on the inside. She's bleeding internally. What's more, that bump on the head has given her a pretty bad concussion. If we don't help her soon, she won't live out the night."

"Can you save her?" asks Thundarr.

"My healing magic should correct the damage," she replies, "I just hope I'm not too late."

Princess Ariel casts her healing spell upon the illusionist, and the cuts and scrapes on her skin already begin to heal. The bruises begin to fade, and Varla's breathing becomes less labored. Ariel then casts a spell of telekinesis and lifts Varla into the air, so that the healing that has begun will not be undone by moving her by more conventional means.

"I need a place to set her down where she can rest and my magic can do its work," she says.

"I can show you where," says a tiny voice from above.

Ariel, Ookla, and Thundarr look up and see a tiny dragon with bright orange scales and gossamer wings, not unlike those of a butterfly. The little creature flies down and lands on the sorceress's shoulder.

"Who are you?" Ariel asks the little dragon.

"My name's Amber," says the dragon, "I'm a faerie dragon. I'm also Presto's familiar."

"Familiar?" asks Thundarr. He knows the word, but has never heard it used in such a context before.

"A wizard's animal companion," explains Ariel, "Very uncommon on our world, though I suppose they could be less uncommon elsewhere. I've never heard of _any_ wizard having a _dragon_ as a familiar before though."

"Most dragons wouldn't allow themselves to be bound to a wizard as a familiar," admits Amber, "But Presto and I were friends long before he cast the spells to bind us as such. And it was I who requested it."

"Well, we're friends of Presto's too," says Ariel, "My name's Ariel, and these are my friends Thundarr and Ookla."

"I know," replies Amber, "Presto told me all about you. You're the ones who warned him about the destruction of his world."

"That's right," says Ariel.

"Pleased to meet you," says the little dragon, "Follow me please. I'll show you where you can put Varla to heal and rest."

Amber flies over to the great double doors that lead into the keep. She casts a spell with the wave of her tiny dragon claw and the doors swing open. As they enter the keep, Ookla scoops Presto's unconscious form up into his arms and follows the little dragon. Amber leads the sorceress and the mok up the stairs and into Presto and Varla's bedroom. Ookla and Ariel lay the wizard and his wife on their bed, then cover them with a quilt.

"They will be okay?" asks Amber.

"Physically, they'll both be fine," replies Ariel, "Emotionally, I'm not too sure."

"What do you mean?" asks the faerie dragon.

"Varla was pregnant," says Ariel, "I'm afraid the damage was too extensive. The child didn't survive."

"Oh no," says Amber sadly, "I didn't even realize she was with child. She never said."

"She was likely waiting to tell Presto," guesses the sorceress.

"Now she has to tell him there will be no child," says Amber with a sigh.

"At least my spell will correct the damage. She will be able to conceive again, one day."

"Come," says Amber, "We should go back to the others. These two need their rest."

The little faerie dragon leads Ariel and Ookla back down to the courtyard. There they find the others nursing their wounds and looking forlorn. Morale is at an all time low. Even Thundarr, the last person Ariel would ever expect to admit defeat, was having trouble keeping his head up. They all looked thoroughly beaten. Just then, Uni and Silverbeard start neighing and kicking up a storm. Everyone runs to the drawbridge to see what has the two unicorns so agitated. In the distance they see a figure approaching them fast. In the deepening gloom of the night sky, however, they cannot tell who or what it is. They draw their weapons and prepare for the worst.

As the figure draws nearer, Uni and Silverbeard's ears perk up and they begin prancing about in a friendly manner. Soon the figure is close enough for them to see it in more detail. It is a man riding on a winged horse. The horse is as white as fresh fallen snow, from its tail to its wings, right to the tip of its nose. The rider is clad in a short white toga, over which he wears a golden breastplate, and a matching helmet with a great red plume upon his head. Hank and the others relax as well, once they see who it is. Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla look at them curiously.

"It's okay," says Hank, "He's on our side."

"He?" asks Thundarr, "He who?"

"Venger," replies The Ranger, as though the answer were obvious.

Venger and his great white Pegasus fly to the castle and land in front of the ten companions. The man who was once their sworn enemy dismounts and removes his plumed helm, revealing a handsome face with high cheekbones, a squared, masculine jaw, and a head full of long, luxurious hair, as white as the feathers and hide of his mount. He strides forward, his hand extended.

"Hello my friends," he says in a kind voice that's so eerily familiar, "I understand you have met with some trouble."

"You're a little late, Bud," says Eric, "The wizard, Argoth, just made off with all of our weapons."

"I am sorry, Cavalier," replies Venger, "I was far away, chasing that damned Shadow Demon. How I wish I had sent him back to the Hell I had conjured him from when I had the chance. I did not even learn of your peril until I stopped by to visit my sister."

"You mean Dungeon Master never told you we were in trouble?" asks Sheila.

"You should know better than anybody that Father comes and goes as he pleases. And even when he does warn you of danger, seldom is it ever so straight forward."

"Good point," admits Eric.

"_You're_ Venger?" says Princess Ariel in astonishment.

"Ah, Princess Ariel," says Venger with a regal bow, "You look even more beautiful than I remember."

"And you look . . . very different from what I remember," replies the sorceress.

"I have my young friends here to thank for that. Being demon possessed does take quite the toll on you . . . physically."

"So that's what happened to you?" asks Thundarr, "You were demon possessed?"

"It was actually a little more complicated than that, but essentially yes," admits Venger, "So what has happened here?"

"What happened was we got our butts kicked, and now Argoth has _all_ of our magic weapons," says Eric.

"I see," says Venger thoughtfully, "Do you know where he has made his base of operations?"

"They've also taken my magic sword," says Terri, "The one I got from War Duke. They said something about returning it to him. They could be using his old stronghold as a base."

"That would certainly explain all of the activity I saw as Pegasus and I flew over Fourth Head Mountains. It looks as though every orc, goblin, ogre, and troll in those mountains are crawling out of their holes."

"Activity?" asks Hank, "What sort of activity?"

"By the looks of things," replies Venger, "They're planning on marching to war."

"Demon dogs!" curses Thundarr, "We have to do something!"

"Like what?" asks Eric, "March into enemy territory and politely ask them to please not attack the rest of The Realm?"

"We fight them!" replies Thundarr.

"Yeah? With what? Argoth's taken all of our weapons! And those guys he gave them to are not afraid to use them with lethal force!"

"And neither am I!" says Thundarr.

"Please, stop you guys," says Princess Ariel, "This bickering is pointless. We need to sit down and think of a plan."

"Like what?" asks Eric.

"I don't know yet," admits Ariel, "But it we have to come up with something."

"The princess is right," says Venger, "First let us get some rest. In the morning we can discuss our next move."

"Right," agrees Hank, "Besides, we should let Presto have a say in what we're gonna do. He might have a few good ideas of his own."

"Where is Presto?" asks Venger, "And his wife, Varla?"

"They were both injured in the battle," explains Hank, "They're in their bed resting."

"My magic is healing Varla's injuries," adds Princess Ariel, "Presto's are less serious. They should both be up and around by morning."

"Come!" says Amber, "I will show you all to the guest rooms."

Thundarr, Ariel, Ookla, Venger, and Dungeon Maser's six pupils follow the little faerie dragon upstairs and into the guest wing of the castle. Venger, Ookla, Eric, and Diana are all shown to their own private rooms. Thundarr and Ariel share a room, as do Bobby and Terri, as well as Hank and Sheila. Not knowing what else to do, everyone simply gets undressed and beds down for the night.

Miles away, next to a great cave in the side of a mountain, hundreds of lizard men, bullywugs, and kobolds have set up an enormous camp. Many of their numbers are asleep, though there are lots of them on guard duty as well. There are great bonfires burning in strategic places about the camp, keeping the area well lit. There are also torches set in the ground around the camp's perimeter. The lizard men and other scaly humanoids jump up in alarm and take up their weapons as a mysterious yellow mist floats down amongst them. The mist takes shape and solidifies into the forms of nine people. A wizard in green robes with gold trim, wearing a green conical wizard's hat. A barbarian with a black beard and a metal arm, holding a wooden club. Some sort of yellow skinned giant with red eyes, holding a golden bow. A black haired human woman in chainmail, holding a golden shield and a rapier with a crystal blade. Two very attractive reptilian women (at least, attractive from the perspective of the lizard folk), one holding a green javelin, the other wearing a purple cloak. The last three were well known to the reptile folk. One was the wizard Kelek, a master of dire wolves. The other was War Duke, whom some of the bullywugs had worked for in the past. The last one was King Varen, a barbaric warlord who lusted after gold, women, and conquest like no other. His eyes show no colour, nor whites, but are as black as the deepest shadows. The green clad wizard steps forward.

"I am Argoth," he declares, "Mightiest of all wizards! I demand an audience with your master!"

A large and powerfully built lizard man, wearing a necklace made of human teeth and carrying a halberd which is far more formidable looking than any of the other lizard men steps forward. He wears a breastplate of bronze, shaped to look like a man's muscular torso, and the helmet of a military general upon his head. Argoth casually raises a hand to this lizard man chieftain and blasts him with a ray of powerful magic. In the space of half a heartbeat, there is nothing left of the lizard man but a blackened spot of scorched earth where he once stood. A feat that only a few days ago would have taken several agonizing seconds.

A bullywug wearing what appears to be the trappings of power in their culture leaps in front of the group, hit spear held ready. Captain Cordon casually pokes him with the crystal blade of her rapier, freezing him solid in a matter of seconds. Then with one swift punch with the Griffon Shield, the bullywug shatters like a glass chandelier. All of the reptilian humanoids scramble to get out of the intruders' way. One kobold doesn't move fast enough, and Zogarr brings the Thunder Club down upon the little creature's head. The earth shakes as the club strikes the ground, and all that is left of the kobold is a bloody smear where it once stood.

Out from the enormous cave comes a mighty roar, which chills the marrow in the bones of even the barbarian Zogarr and the veteran General Zoa. From the shadows steps a great big red scaly clawed foot. Then the head of a great red dragon emerges from the shadows. Then blue, then green, then black and white. In another step, the dragon's body emerges, showing that the five heads are all connected to the one body. Tiamat, mother of all chromatic dragons, steps fully into view. Her enormous body dwarfing even the greatest of her children.

"Who dares to disturb my slumber?" asks the dragon in a voice both powerful and grating.

Argoth boldly steps forward, as his henchmen all take several steps back. Some out of healthy respect, but mostly out of pure, unadulterated fear. "I do!" says the wizard, "Argoth! The Wizard of A Thousand Eyes!"

Tiamat inhales deeply through the mouth of her large, red, central head. Argoth's men steel themselves for what they're about to witness. Then Tiamat unleashes her central head's fiery breath. The flames engulf Argoth, the heat of them forcing the others back several steps. When the fire subsides, Argoth stands calmly in the center of a great area of scorched earth, completely unscathed.

Tiamat's five heads stare at the wizard, with what can only be described as a dumbfounded expression on her faces. The white and blue heads unleash their breath weapons upon Argoth, first the frost of the white, followed immediately by the lightning of the blue. Normally such an attack would cause its victim to shatter, much like the enchanted sword of Captain Cordon's had done to the bullywug. But the wizard just ignores them. Tiamat tries again with the poison gas of her green head, and the stream of acid from her black. Again Argoth calmly accepts the attacks, and they do him no harm.

"What manner of being are you?" demands the dragon.

"I am a wizard," replies Argoth, "The most powerful in this world, or my own."

"Why have you invaded my domain?"

"I am here to offer you an alliance," says Argoth, "For your forces to join with mine in order to trample all that stands against us beneath our feet!"

"And for me to bow down to you and call you master!" accuses the dragon.

"Not at all," replies Argoth, "For us to share the spoils equally. As partners."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I have not tried to destroy you."

"I am eternal!" cries the dragon, "No weapon in all The Realm, or spell, or poison, can ever destroy me!"

"Perhaps not," agrees Argoth, "But I can easily slaughter your troops."

"Vermin! I care not if these reptiles live or die, so long as they do so in my name."

"And what of the many chromatic dragons that roam The Realm? Your children? If I were to slaughter them?"

"I can always have more!" hisses Tiamat, "Unlike you, I require no mate to have children!"

"Oh great Tiamat," says Argoth with as much humility as he can manage, "I possess the Weapons of Power, which your enemy had sought for so very long. My conquest of The Realm is assured. I only ask that you join me in my victory, so that we may enjoy the spoils together. Let us destroy our mutual enemies on the battlefield, not each other!"

"What is it that you wish?"

"For your lizard men, bullywugs, and kobolds to march alongside my orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, and ogres as we head into battle."

"Is that all?"

"Nay. I wish for winged steeds for my commanders. Your most powerful children to carry them into battle."

"Anything else?"

"Only that you join in the battle at its forefront. Help us raze cities to the ground and take their wealth for our own."

"And when The Realm is conquered?" asks Tiamat, "What then?"

"Then we divide the spoils evenly."

"Evenly?" asks the dragon.

"Well, you and I will get the lion's share," admits Argoth, "Though my commanders will be given control of enough land to satisfy even their greedy hearts."

"Very well, wizard" says Tiamat, "I accept. But know this! No magic in all The Realm will keep me from destroying you if you cross me!"

"Perish the thought!" replies Argoth.

"Betray me, and it will not be the thought that perishes!"

Tiamat laughs maniacally, her mirth sounding like a giant rockslide. Argoth turns from the dragon, smiling wickedly at his gathered henchmen. Zogarr, Zoa, Cordon, and the others all have expressions of various degrees of confidence. Talona and Viper are both supremely confident in their master's powers, and thus his plans for conquest. Zogarr and Zoa are less certain of the alliance with the dragons, but are eager for battle. Kelek and Cordon both look very skeptical, but are putting on a brave face for the wizard's benefit. King Varen looks supremely confident and eager for bloodshed, but these are Shadow Demon's feelings, not his. Shadow Demon could care less what happens to the body he's possessing, he'll just switch later on. War Duke is the only one who's expression is unreadable, his face hidden behind his heavy helm. Argoth doesn't seem to care.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Terri's chainmail and Bobby's furs lay on a table in their room. Terri tosses and turns as she sleeps next to her husband. She sees herself standing on the edge of Presto's magic cloud, looking over the land. Everywhere she turns, she sees towns and villages in flames. She sees people fleeing fore their lives. Behind them charges a host of The Realm's monsters, so numerous that they cover the land like a blanket. They run down the fleeing humans and slaughter them without mercy, man, woman, and child.

She turns towards the castle and sees it in flames. General Zoa flies around the keep on the back of a red dragon, firing magic arrows with the Energy Bow as the dragon breathes fire upon the castle. Zogarr the Barbarian rides upon a blue dragon, smashing the castle's towers whenever they're within arms reach, as the dragon breathes bolts of lightning, shattering the stones. Captain Cordon rides upon a great white dragon, its icy breath freezing all it touches. Viper rides upon a mighty black dragon, its acidic breath melting holes in the castle walls, while Talona rides a great green dragon that breathes poison gas into the opened walls.

Terri begins running towards the keep, screaming for Bobby. Just as she reaches the drawbridge, Tiamat lands right in her path. Argoth sits triumphantly behind the dragon's great red head. Then all five of Tiamat's heads inhale, and breathe their combined breath weapons down upon Terri. Terri wakes up screaming.

"Terri!" cries Bobby, "Terri, wake up! It's okay Terri, it's only a dream!"

"Oh Bobby!" she cries, and buries her face in the barbarian's shoulder.

Just then, Thundarr, Ariel, Hank, and the others all come bursting into the room. "What is it?" asks Thundarr, "What's wrong?"

"Terri had another dream," explains Bobby.

"A dream of the future?" asks Ariel.

"I think so," Bobby replies.

"What was it about?" Venger asks in a calm and soothing voice.

Terri wipes the tears from her eyes. "An army," she says as she tries to catch her breath, "Bigger than anything I've ever seen. Like every monster in The Realm has gotten together and joined forces. They were sweeping across the land, destroying everything in sight. Then Argoth and his men attacked Presto's castle. They were riding dragons like they were horses. The castle was destroyed, and anyone inside . . ."

"Demon dogs!" says Thundarr, "This will all happen tomorrow?"

"My dreams don't just predict things a day in advance anymore," says Terri, "Sometimes my premonitions come true in a matter of days, weeks, or even months."

"It's very possible that Argoth's army will begin their march tomorrow," says Venger, "Although it might be a few days before they reach their first settlement."

"So what are we going to do?" asks Hank.

"I know I'm out of ideas," replies Eric.

"Now there's a surprise," laughs Diana.

"We should all get some rest," says Princess Ariel, "Perhaps tomorrow we will be able to come up with a plan together."

"Sound advice," agrees Venger with a nod.

"Very well," agrees Thundarr, "Everyone get back to bed. We will have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

With that, everyone returns to their respective bedrooms. The rest of the night passes by uneventfully. Terri has no more dreams, though the images of her last dream haunt her thoughts as she lies in her husband's arms. Finally the sky begins to brighten as the dawn begins to approach. Somewhere down below a cock crows in the town of Helix. Terri and Bobby get up and get dressed. They then head out into the hallway and meet up with all the others. Presto is also up and about, and even Varla, although she still looks like she could use some bed rest. They all head downstairs and sit down around the grand dining table in the dining hall. Almost as soon as their butts hit the seat cushions, plates and silverware come floating in from the kitchen of their own accord. The plates are all piled high with stacks of pancakes, dripping with maple syrup. There are also several mugs of steaming hot tea floating in to accompany the plates.

"Neat!" says Bobby.

"It's like having breakfast at Mickey Mouse's house in _Fantasia_," remarks Sheila.

"Well, I'm a much better magician than Mickey was," says Presto with a smile.

"So is anyone going to explain to us who those people were that attacked us yesterday, and what they want?" asks Varla.

"The wizard's name is Argoth," explains Thundarr, "He came here for Presto's magic hat, so that he can use it to gain revenge upon Ookla, Ariel, and myself for defeating him. Those who are with him are others that we have fought and beaten. He recruited them, promising each of them one of your Items Of Power in exchange for their help in conquering us."

"So then why didn't this Argoth guy finish you off yesterday?" Presto asks the barbarian, "It looks like he's got the full set now."

"I think he may be waiting," replies Princess Ariel, "He wants to make us suffer before he destroys us."

"And his ambitions have gone beyond simple revenge," adds Thundarr, "He seeks to conquer the whole Realm."

"I'm worried," says Sheila.

"What can we do against such a powerful force of evil?" asks Venger.

"I don't know," admits Hank, "This Argoth isn't just powerful and evil, he's also clever. He's allied all of our enemies against us."

"And boy, do we ever have a lot of enemies," says a very depressed Eric.

"True," says Bobby, suddenly perking up, "But we have an awful lot of friends too!"

"So?" says the Cavalier.

"So Dungeon Master said to remember our friends!" explains the Barbarian, "If Argoth can unite our enemies against us . . ."

"Then we can unite our friends against Argoth!" exclaims Hank as the Ranger catches on.

"Great idea Bobby!" says Sheila, "We can get Lukion The Spell Binder and the gnomes in that valley of mystic gems! I'm sure they'd be willing to join us!"

"Don't forget the sorceress Zandora!" adds Diana, "She's both wise and powerful!"

"I'm sure King Lawrence would lead his army to battle if we asked him to!" says Bobby.

"Hey, don't forget about me!" says Eric, "I can get not only The Celestial Knights on our side, but my stepfather, King Ramuud and his entire army will come if I asked him to."

"And the dwarves that we freed from War Dukes slave mines!" says Presto, "Dwarves and orcs are life long blood enemies! They'll come to our aid if we asked them to."

"I hate to ruin the moment," says Terri, "But even if we can get all the people of The Realm to unite into a single army to fight back against Argoth's forces, we still have two very big problems."

"Which are?" asks Venger.

"One, we still have to fight against our own weapons," she explains, "And two, Argoth has formed an alliance with Tiamat and her army. His henchmen even ride dragons into battle! How are we supposed to counter _that_?"

"We should make our stand at Tardos Keep," says Hank, "Their walls cal repel nearly any attack. Besides, their dragon's bane plants can be used to defeat Tiamat and any dragons she cares to throw at us."

"Good idea, Ranger," agrees Venger, "As a contingency plan, there is one other thing we can use against Tiamat."

"There is?" asks Presto, "What?"

"Her twin sister."

"Whoa!" says Bobby, "Tiamat has a sister? Since when?"

"Since the beginning of time," explains Venger, "Tiamat is the mother of all chromatic dragons. Reds, greens, blues, whites, and blacks, all call her mother. No matter how many the dragon slayers put down, she can always breed more. Her twin sister, Tiessar, was much the same. The only difference was she was the mother of all metallic dragons. Golds, silvers, bronzes, coppers, and brasses."

"How come we've never encountered her before?" asks Eric.

"Because I had captured her," says Venger sadly, "One of my first villainous acts was to trick the people of Tardos out of their dragon's bane, which I then used on Tiessar. I rendered her powerless, then trapped her inside a magical crystal and sank her to the bottom of The Sea Of Sharp Teeth, just off of The Wizards' Coast. She has been trapped there ever since."

"So that's why there are so few good dragons in The Realm," says Presto.

"Yes," agrees Venger, "Many of them fell to the blades of unscrupulous dragon slayers. Without Tiessar around to repopulate the species of metallic dragons, their numbers dwindled. Now they are all but extinct."

"Can you rescue Tiessar from her prison?" asks Diana.

"I do not know," admits Venger, "Undoing the spell that imprisoned her should be simple enough. But getting to her is going to prove to be far more difficult. For you see, That particular region of The Sea Of Sharp Teeth is home to a large community of sahuigan, scrags, and merrow."

"Of what?" Thundarr asks.

"Sahuigan are fish men who dwell in the oceans of The Realm," explains Venger, "They're wicked and cruel, with a taste for human flesh."

"Lovely," remarks Princess Ariel.

"Scrags are the aquatic cousins to trolls," Venger continues, "Very dangerous, for as long as they're in water, they will regenerate any damage done to them. Merrow are the aquatic cousins of ogres. Big, strong, stupid, and ravenously hungry. Both scrags and merrow are known to ally themselves with sahuigan from time to time, as they share common enemies, as well as common tastes."

"You mean . . ."

"They too enjoy the taste of human flesh."

"And now you're going to have to fight your way through all of those to free this dragon?"

"If I must, yes."

"That's suicide!"

"It is a necessary part of my penance," replies Venger, "It must be done sooner or later. I was hoping to have more time to formulate a plan. Now I must have to, as you young ones like to say, wing it."

"That still leaves the problem of getting our weapons back from Argoth and his goons," says Terri, "We don't stand a chance against our own weapons. Not when they're being wielded by people _that_ ruthless."

"Don't be so sure Terri," says Bobby cheerfully, "We've lost our weapons plenty of times, but we've always managed to get them back!"

"Yeah," says Eric, "Remember the time we fought Demodragon, and it took all our weapons and broke free of Venger's control?"

"Or how about the time we first came to Merlin's castle?" says Presto, "Venger took my magic hat, yet I managed to recast Merlin's spell and send that flock of dragons into another dimension!"

"Or the time Presto and I first met," adds Varla, "When my village was tricked into giving your weapons to Venger. You guys rescued me, and got your weapons back."

"And my first birthday in The Realm!" adds Bobby, "When I managed to rescue you guys from The Prison Of Agony almost single handed!"

"I have lost count of the number of times evil wizards have captured Ariel, Ookla, and I," says Thundarr, "And taken my Sunsword, only for us to break free and get it back."

"Yeah," says Eric with a laugh, "Only you have to strip naked just to count to twenty one!"

Thundarr growls as everyone has a chuckle at his expense. Terri, however, does not join in the mirth. "This is different," she says, "If we don't find a way to counteract our own weapons, I'm afraid we're all going to die."

"We're not going to die, Terri," says Presto comfortingly, "Because I happen to have a solution."

"Really?" asks Hank, "What is it?"

"Follow me," replies the young wizard.

He gets up from the table and heads towards the hall. The others all get up and follow their friend. He leads them into his library, filled with books both magical and mundane. He walks over to a specific book case and starts looking through the spines of the various tomes upon one shelf. When he gets to the one he wants, he takes hold of it and pulls it out. Immediately, the book case swings open, revealing a hidden passage behind it.

"A little cliché," says Presto with a shrug, "but it works."

"Wow! Neat!" says Bobby, and he begins to walk past Presto. The wizard quickly blocks his friend's path with an outstretched arm.

"That would be most unwise, Barbarian," Presto tells him.

Presto raises his hands into the air, his hands glowing with white radiance. The others all look down the secret passage to see what Presto is doing. Along each wall stands four suits of full plate armor. Each one holds a halberd in its right hand, and a shield in its left. The helmets of the two central armors along the right hand wall glow, rise up, then switch places. The helmets on the two central suits of armor on the left hand side then do the same. The halberd in the hand of the near left suit of armor and the far right suit of armor then float up and switch places. Then the shields of the far left and near right armors switch places. Finally, the swords of the two suits of armor at the far end of the secret passage rise up out of their scabbards, switch places, and then slide back into the scabbards of the opposite armors. Presto then walks calmly into the secret passage, and motions for his friends to follow.

"Anyone who doesn't put in the proper combination before entering is in for one heck of a nasty surprise," he says.

As Presto approaches the wall at the end of the secret passage, the eyes of the stone gargoyle built into the wall begin to glow red. Once again, Presto raises his hand which glows with magical power. The gargoyle's eyes turn from red to green, then another secret door opens up. Presto steps through the door immediately, and the others follow suit. They find themselves in a wizard's workshop. There's an alchemist's lab, with all kinds of potions and chemicals bubbling away in beakers and test tubes. There are craftsman's tools of various kinds. A cast iron cauldron hanging over a fireplace. A forge with a smithy's tools of the trade. There's even a loom, and a book case filled with books.

"Where are we?" asks Hank, "What is all this stuff?"

"We're in my private workshop," replies Presto, "This stuff is what I use to create . . . these!"

And with a dramatic flourish, Presto pulls back a curtain to reveal rows upon rows of masterfully crafted items. There are bottles of potions. Rings sitting upon satin cushions. Various cloaks and capes draped over wooden mannequins. And lots of weapons and armor to choose from. The others all stand there, staring at the collection in awe.

"Where did all these come from?" asks Eric.

"I made them myself," says Presto proudly, "You didn't think Dungeon Master was the _only_ one who could craft magical weapons, did you?"

"To be honest," says the Cavalier, "I never really gave it much thought."

Presto begins looking through the items. "Let's see," he says, then his face lights up as he finds what he was looking for. "Ah! Here it is!"

He takes out a composite longbow which appears to have been carved out of ivory. The length of the bow is designed to look like it is wrapped in white ivy. The bowstring looks to be made out of silver wire. Presto looks the bow over, as though inspecting it for damage or imperfections, then hands it over to Hank.

"Here you are Ranger," he says, "Trust in this bow and it shall not easily miss."

"Quoting C.S. Lewis now Presto?" says Hank with a grin as he takes the offered weapon.

"Look who's talking!" laughs the wizard, "I half expected you to name your horse _Shadowfax_!"

"How do you know I didn't?"

Presto points over to a table off to the side. Hank looks over and sees a crystal ball sitting upon a brass stand. "Just because Varla and I haven't been over to visit lately, doesn't mean I haven't been keeping tabs," he says.

"I don't know if that's flattering, or just creepy," says Sheila.

"Go with flattering," replies Presto, and everyone chuckles. "Anyway," continues the wizard, "this is a Bow of Accuracy. It pretty much ignores the range restrictions on mundane bows, and treats every target as though you were shooting them at point blank range."

"You mean it has no range limitation?" asks the Ranger.

"Not exactly," clarifies Presto, "It can't shoot arrows any farther than a normal bow can. But shooting someone a hundred yards away with this bow is essentially no different than shooting them from ten feet away."

"I see," says Hank, "Thank you Presto."

"I'm not done yet, Hank," he replies, "Unlike your energy bow, this one needs ammunition." Presto looks through the crafted items some more until he finds a quiver of arrows with white fletching. He takes it down and hands it to the Ranger, "Ah! Here you go!"

Hank takes the quiver and draws one of the arrows. Its arrow head glistens in the candle light, revealing the tiny mystical symbols etched into the metal.

"Those arrows are called Heart Seekers," explains Presto, "When fired at a living target, they always fly unerringly towards the heart. There's no guarantee that they'll penetrate armor or defensive spells. But if they do, they're always fatal. And whether you hit or miss, six seconds after they finish their flight they will disappear and then reappear in your quiver, so you'll never run out of arrows."

"I don't know if I want to actually kill anyone, Presto," says Hank with an edge of uncertainty in his voice, "We've always managed to avoid using lethal force before."

"These villains aren't like the ones we've fought in the past, Hank," says Presto, "They're not going to pull their punches, so neither can we. Besides, they killed my unborn child. For that, they are going to pay dearly."

"You know?" asks Princess Ariel.

"I wasn't fully unconscious last night," admits Presto, "I kept slipping in and out. I managed to hear you and Amber talking."

"I'm so sorry, Presto," says Amber as she lands on the wizard's shoulder.

"So am I," says Presto, "But not as sorry as Argoth and his cronies are gonna be!"

"What else have you made, Presto?" Sheila asks him in an attempt to change the subject.

Presto smiles at her, recognizing her intentions. He grabs a bandolier of six throwing knives and hands them to her. "Here you go!" he says, "These knives will fly farther and dig deeper than regular throwing knives. And just like Hank's arrows, they'll reappear in their sheaths six seconds after their flight ends, so you'll never run out."

"Gee, thanks," says the Rogue, "But I was never really much of a fighter. Do you have anything a little more . . . passive?"

"Hmmm," says Presto as he thinks on this, "I think I might have just the thing." He takes a black leather cloak off of a mannequin and drapes it over Sheila's shoulders. "Here you go!" he says, "A Cloak of Displacement! It'll make you appear to be somewhere that your not, so your enemies will be attacking your image rather than your actual body."

"Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them," quotes Eric.

"Precisely!" replies Presto.

"I was hoping for something a little more along the lines of my Cloak of Invisibility," says Sheila, "It seems I'm still gonna have to do plenty of fighting in this thing."

"Sorry," says Presto with a shrug, "It's the best I've got. But use the knives and the cloak together and you should do fine."

"Got anything for Ye Old Cavalier?" Eric asks.

"As a matter of fact I do," says Presto. He takes out a round, golden shield and hands it to Eric. "I based the design on the shields of ancient Sparta," he says, "While the magical defenses I've placed on it aren't as strong as your Griffon Shield, the offensive magic should make up for it."

"Offensive magic?" Eric asks.

"Sure! Just throw the shield at the enemy like it's a Frisbee, or a discus. The magic will send it flying at incredibly high speed to hit with tremendous force. Then whether it hits or misses, it will return immediately to your hand."

"Just like Captain America," says Eric as he slips his arm through the leather straps.

"Where do you think I got the idea?" replies Presto.

"What about me?" asks Bobby.

"I've got just the thing for you, Bobby The Barbarian," says Presto. He pulls out an iron bound wooden chest and opens it up. He begins digging through the contents, then pulls out a wide leather belt. He turns back around and hands the garment to Bobby.

"Wow," says the barbarian, "What is it?"

"A Belt of Titan Strength," replies Presto, "The only one like it in all of The Realm. When worn, it will make you stronger than the mightiest Storm Giant."

"Neat!" says Bobby, and he quickly buckles the leather strap around his waist.

Presto then goes looking through the rack of weapons. He picks out a large, heavy looking great axe. The handle is nearly four feet long. The head appears to be made of gold, and is in the form of a phoenix with its wings stretched out wide, forming twin blades. Presto hefts the heavy weapon in his hands, then hands it over to Bobby. The barbarian takes it easily in his right hand and twirls it about with practiced ease.

"It's so light," he remarks.

"You're wearing a Belt of Titan Strength," says Presto, "Right now, a tree trunk would feel light to you."

"Oh yeah," says Bobby sheepishly, "I forgot."

"Anyway, that axe has a very special additional power."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"All you have to do is speak the command word, _Inferno_."

"Inferno?" As soon as Bobby says the word, the phoenix shaped axe head bursts into flames.

"Those flames will burn anything they touch, regardless of whether or not your blades penetrate your targets armor or flesh. If you battle trolls, they will not regenerate from their wounds. And if your blade sinks deeply enough into your enemy's flesh, it will set off a fiery explosion inside of them. It will be like you've shoved a hand grenade inside their bodies and pulled the pin."

"That's . . . pretty damn cool. But, um, Presto? How do I turn it off?"

"Just say, _Blizzard_."

"Blizzard!" says Bobby, and the magical flames of his battle axe immediately extinguish.

"Now for Diana . . ." begins Presto, but Diana holds her hand up to cut him off.

"I cannot take anything lethal, Presto," she tells him, "I am a monk of The Temple of Light. I cannot take a life, even if it costs me my own."

"But . . ."

"No matter how evil the person may be, I cannot take their life."

"Very well," says Presto with a sigh, "I think I may have something that you can use." He goes looking through his weapons and digs out a wooden staff. It measures about five feet long, and its ends have been carved into the semblance of dragon heads. He hands it to Diana.

"Here you go," he says, "It was carved from a young ironwood tree and has been strengthened with my magic."

Diana takes it and does a few practice swings, twirling it about experimentally. "Not bad," she says.

"It does have an additional power, though not necessarily a lethal one," Presto informs her.

"What power?" she asks.

"Just speak the command word, _Sapphire_."

Diana holds the staff up high. "Sapphire!" she says.

Ribbons of electricity coil up and down the staff like angry blue snakes. Diana whirls the staff about a few more times, creating a blue blur of motion. She strikes the stone floor with the end of the staff, which erupts in a hail of sparks. Diana looks at the end of the staff. The dragon head carving is undamaged.

"Every successful strike of the staff will give your opponent an electric jolt," explains Presto, "Though not necessarily a lethal one. It would be kinda like fighting someone with a defibrillator paddle. But be warned. If you strike your opponents too hard, the strength of the jolt increases to be more akin to being struck by lightning."

"Not bad Presto," says Diana, "Not bad at all. Um, how do I turn it off?"

"Just say _Pearl_."

Diana holds the staff up high and says "Pearl!" Immediately, the ribbons of electricity cease.

"What about Terri?" Bobby asks his friend, "She needs new weapons too."

"I think I have something that will suit her just fine," replies Presto, "Tell me Terri, do you know how to fight with two weapons?"

"Sure," replies the Dreamwalker, "Why?'

Presto digs out a sword belt sporting twin scabbards. Sheathed in them are twin swords. They are rather short in length, barely three feet long from pommel to tip. Their design greatly resembles the gladius or the drusus favored by the gladiators of ancient Rome. Terri buckles the sword belt around her waist, then draws the twin blades. She goes through a swordsman's kata with the weapons, whirling the blades about in perfect harmony. The others see immediately what the enchantment on these swords are. Her movements are a blur as she moves with incredible speed. It's almost comical to watch, as she looks like someone videotaped her practicing with her swords and is now playing the tape back in fast forward. Terri ends her kata, surprised by the speed with which she was moving.

"Short Swords of Quickness," explains Presto, "Your attacks will come more quickly than your opponents can react to, almost always granting you the initiative in every combat."

"That," says the lady warrior, "will do just fine." With that, she sheaths her swords.

Presto steps towards Thundarr, but the barbarian holds up his hand in protest. "I appreciate what you are doing, my friend," he says, "But I have no need for your magical trinkets. My Sunsword is all the power I need."

"And a mighty power it is," agrees Presto, "But that doesn't mean you cannot use my aid. Here," and he hands Thundarr the hollowed horn of a ram, made into an instrument.

"What is this?" he asks.

"A Horn of Valhalla," replies Presto, "If ever you are too greatly outnumbered, blow on this. It will summon a host of fierce barbarians to come fight by your side."

"I really don't think . . ."

"Take it!" says Presto, "You're gonna need all the help you can get. Even a warrior as mighty as you cannot fight an entire army of orcs all by yourself. Not even with the Sunsword."

"Thank you for this, my friend," says Thundarr, "I pray I will never need to use it."

"You and I both, my friend," replies the wizard, "You and I both."

Presto then takes a large quiver of what appears to be extra large arrows with red fletching and hands it to Ookla. "These were an experiment I had tried which didn't work out quite right," he explains, "They're Exploding Arrows. Once they hit, whether it be earth, wood, metal, or flesh, six seconds later there's a fiery explosion that engulfs everything within a twenty foot radius. Unfortunately, in order to imbue the arrows with the necessary spells, I had to make them extra large. Now they're too big to be fired from any bow wielded by mortal man anywhere in The Realm. Fortunately, your mok bow is just the perfect size for them. Just be sure your target is at least twenty five feet away from you when you shoot it. Otherwise you'll get caught in the blast too."

Ookla nods his head affirmatively, then takes the quiver of arrows and slings it across his back. Presto then turns to Princess Ariel. He takes a jeweled ring off of one of the satin cushions and slips it onto her finger. The gold band shifts and adjusts until it's a perfect fit.

"Does Varla mind you taking on a second wife?" asks Princess Ariel with a smirk.

"It's not an engagement ring," replies Presto, "It's a Ring of Spell Turning. It will protect you from Argoth's spells. Both Varla and I wear them. It's probably why Argoth's spell only knocked me out yesterday rather than killing me."

"It's a lovely gift," says Ariel with all sincerity, "Thank you."

"So now that we are all re-armed, what's next?" asks Hank.

"We need to spread out," says Bobby, "Warn everyone we can about Argoth and his advancing army."

"I'll go back to Turan and warn the king," says Diana. "It's not too far as the hippogriff flies!"

"Terri and I will go to The Valley of The Giants," says Bobby, "Kaarox and his people would be a huge help in fighting Argoth's minions."

"I'll head back to Khadish and mobilize the army there," says Eric, "It's a large kingdom, and it's very far away, even for a war bird. So it might take a while. But between Ramuud's standing army and any civilians we can get to volunteer, our numbers should help tip the balance."

"Hank and I will go to Kareena's," says Sheila.

"No," says Venger, "We need to focus more on the great kingdoms of The Realm."

"But our children are with her," argues Sheila.

"Venger's right," says Presto. Sheila opens her mouth to protest, but Presto cuts her off. "I will contact Kareena with my magic," he tells her, "I'll instruct her to take the children to Queen Silinara at Tardos Keep. I'll tell Lukion and Zandora to meet them there. They should be safe enough. For now."

"Then we should go warn King Lawrence," says Hank, "His army is large and powerful."

"I'll also contact Dekion," says Eric, "I'll tell him to mobilize the Celestial Knights."

"Varla and I will go to the mithril mines of Mount Gygax and recruit the dwarves that work there," adds Presto.

"Ariel, Ookla, and I will aid Venger in rescuing Tiessar," says Thundarr.

"No, I cannot allow that," says Venger, "It is too dangerous."

"I wasn't asking your permission," replies Thundarr.

"The Wizard's Coast is a long ways from here," argues Venger, "I cannot wait for your mounts to keep up with my Pegasus."

"Don't you worry about us," says Princess Ariel, "You just lead the way."

"Very well," says Venger.

Presto and Varla walk their friends out of the castle. Everyone mounts their steeds. Princess Ariel conjures another bridge so that everyone can ride down to the ground. Eric rides his war bird east towards Khadish, and Diana rides her hippogriff towards Turan. Before Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla can spur their mounts to ride down the bridge, Venger casts a spell upon their mounts. Thundarr's stallion and Ariel's mare sprout wings much like Venger's Pegasus. Ookla's equart sprouts leathery bat-like dragon wings.

"There," says Venger, "Now we can travel together."

"Wow," says Ariel, "I didn't know you could do that."

"The spell is only temporary," replies Venger, "But it will last long enough for us to reach The Wizard's Coast."

"Here," says Presto, and he hands Thundarr and Ookla each a pair of rings, "You'll need these."

"I do not usually wear jewelry," says the barbarian.

"They're magical," replies Presto, "One is a Ring of Water Breathing, the other is a Ring of Free Action. Wear them both, and you will be able to breathe and move under the water as though it were air."

"These will be very useful," says Thundarr, "Thank you."

"And here," Presto says to Ariel, and hands her another ring, "Another Ring of Water Breathing for you. I'm sorry I can't give you a Ring of Free Action as well, but if I did, it might cancel out the magic of your Ring of Spell Turning."

"What?"

"That's just how magic works here," says Presto with a shrug, "You can only ever use two magic rings at one time."

"That's . . . weird," says the sorceress.

"I don't make the rules," says Presto, "I only work within them." Then he hands her a glass bottle filled with purple liquid, "So take this instead."

"What is it?" asks Ariel.

"A Potion of Free Action," replies Presto, "There's no rules governing the use of potions. Except, of course, there are some potions that shouldn't be mixed. Also, even when used properly, potions will only last for a short time."

"How long will the potion last?"

"A few hours at least. I suggest Thundarr and Ookla put their Rings of Free Action on after they reach the ocean floor."

"Why?"

"Because if they were to wear the rings before jumping into the water, it will be like falling hundreds of feet through the air rather than swimming through the water."

"Right," says Ariel, "Don't want to be going splat on the ocean floor."

"Drink the potion before you jump into the water," suggests Presto, "Then hold onto Thundarr as he swims to the bottom."

"Sounds like a plan," agrees Princess Ariel.

"Come," says Venger, "We have a long way to go, and a short time to get there." Then he mounts his Pegasus and flies towards The Wizard's Coast.

"Thanks again for all your help, Presto," says Ariel.

"I'll meet you guys at Tardos Keep," says Presto.

"Right," says Ariel, "Good luck in your search."

"And to you in yours."

Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla mount their steeds. Thundarr's stallion stretches its wings out wide. "Ariel! Ookla! RIIIIDE!"

Their mounts stretch their wings and take to the air. Thundarr, Ariel, Ookla follow Venger towards The Wizard's Coast. Presto puts his arm around Varla's shoulders as they watch their friends heading out to gather their allies. Then they turn and head back into the castle. Shortly after, the castle floats away towards Mount Gygax.


End file.
